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OUTLINE  STUDIES  IN  THE  mak  -  is 
BOOKS  OF  THE  OLD  TES- 
TAMENT. 


W.  G.  MOOREHEAD,  D.D. 

Prof,  of  NewTesiament  Exegesis  in  United  Presbyterian 
Theological  Seminary. 


Chicago  :  New  York  :  Toronto 

Fleming  H.   Revell   Company 


London  and  Edinburgh 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1893,  by 
Fleming  H.  Revell  Company,  in  the  office  of  the  Librarian  of 
congress  at  Washington.     All  rights  reserved. 


PREFACE. 

A  survey  of  the  Bible,  however  cursory  and  partial, 
cannot  but  prove  helpful ;  for  the  book  is  a  great 
light-center,  and  no  one  can  wander  into  its  neighbor- 
hood without  catching  some  of  its  beams.  These 
Outline  Studies  in  the  books  of  the  Old  Testament 
pretend  to  be  no  more  than  helps  in  the  reading  of  the 
Scriptures — than  to  catch  a  few  of  the  beams  that  ra- 
diate from  that  fountain  of  light.  How  imperfect  they 
are  no  one  can  so  fully  realize  as  the  author.  They 
are  neither  critical  nor  expository.  They  are  designed 
for  beginners  in  Bible  study.  The  one  aim  has  been 
to  furnish  for  Young  People  an  analysis  of  the  con- 
tents of  each  book,  and  some  of  the  more  prominent 
features. 

In  the  preparation  of  the  Outlines  all  available  aid 
has  been  freely  employed,  more  especially  Eraser's 
Synoptical  Lectures,  Home's  Introduction,  Smith's 
Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  Stanley's  Lectures,  Eder- 
sheim's  Temple  Service,  and  various  Commentaries. 

If  these  Studies  serve  to  deepen  in  any  one  the  con- 
viction that  the  Scriptures  are  the  very  Word  of  God, 
and  that  the  entrance  of  their  inspired  words  '*  giveth 
light,"  none  will  so  rejoice  as  the  author. 

W.  G.  MOOREHEAD. 

Xeniay   Ohio. 


PREFACE  TO  THE  SECOND  EDITION. 


To  the  great  surprise  of  the  author  who  antici- 
pated no  such  fortune  for  his  book,  a  second 
edition  of  these  OutHne  Studies  seems  to  be  called 
for.  Candor  prompts  him  to  say  that  the  surprise 
is  a  grateful  one.  Many  needed  corrections  have 
been  made  for  this  edition,  though  perhaps  not 
all  the  mistakes  have  been  detected. 

W.     G.     MOOREHEAD. 

Xenia,  O.,  April,   1894. 


CONTTBNXS. 


PAGE 

Bible  Study    .......      5 

Scrip.  Types 12 

Genesis 18 

Exodus 26 

Iveviticus 37 

Numbers 49 

Deut 56 

Joshua 62 

Judges 70 

Ruth 80 

ISam'l 88 

II  Sam'l 97 

I  and  II  Kings 105 

I  and  II  Chron     .    .    .    .113 

Ezra 121 

Nehemiah 127 

Esther 132 

Job 140 

Psalms 157 

Proverbs 182 

Ecclesiastes 190 


PAGE 

Song 197 

Prophecy 206 

Isaiah 218 

Jeremiah 240 

Lamentations 256 

Ezekiel 260 

Daniel 275 

The  Minor  Prophets   .    .  297 

Hosea 300 

Joel 307 

Amos 313 

Obadiah 320 

Jonah 323 

Micah 332 

Nahum    . 338 

Habakkuk 343 

Zephaniah 345 

Haggai 348 

Zechariah 352 

Malachi 361 


BIBLE  STUDY. 

The  object  of  the  following  pages  is  to  furnish  the 
student  of  Scripture  with  the  outlines  of  the  Old 
Testament  books.  The  design,  analysis  and  prin- 
cipal subjects  of  each  book  are  given  as  fully  as  the 
prescribed  limits  will  permit. 

But  before  we  enter  upon  these  studies  some  pre- 
liminary matters  require  brief  mention. 

First:  The  temper  of  mind  with  which  Scripture  should 
be  studied.  In  its  origin  and  contents  the  Bible  dif- 
fers from  other  books.  It  comes  to  us  with  divine 
sanction.  It  claims  to  be  the  word  of  the  living 
God.  It  asserts  that  God  has  attested  the  validity 
of  its  claims  by  signs  and  wonders  and  mighty 
deeds.  Assuming  its  plenary  inspiration,  it  follows 
obviously  that  the  Bible  should  not  be  taken  up  in 
the  spirit  in  which  we  approach  other  books.  How 
shall  we  read  it? 

I.  The  Bible  should  be  studied  with  the  profound 
conviction  that  it  is  the  word  of  God;  that  it  contains 
a  revelation  from  Him,  a  revelation  of  Him,  and  a 
revelation  of  ourselves  likewise,  2  Tim.  iii:i6;  Heb. 
i:i,  2;  2  Peter  i:20,  2i,  etc.  We  want  to  settle  it 
definitely  with  ourselves  that  this  book  primarily  is 
not  made  up  of  the  words  of  the  various  writers 
whose  names  it  records — not  of  the  words  of  Moses, 
David,  John  and  Paul — but  of  the  words  of  God. 
The  inspired  writers  affirm  that  these  are  not  their 


6  OFltlNE   STUDIES. 

utterances,  that  they  are  not  the  originators  of  the 
messages  they  deliver.  Thus  the  apostle  Peter 
writes:  "Knowing  this  first,  that  no  prophecy  of 
the  Scripture  is  of  any  private  interpretation,"  2 
Pet.  i:20.  By  this  is  meant  that  it  did  not  originate 
with  the  prophet  himself,  nor  is  it  tied  up  to  the 
times  of  the  prophets,  I  Pet.  i:io,  ii.  Of  course, 
there  is  a  human  element  in  the  Bible.  Its  language 
is  human,  else  there  would  be  no  revelation  at 
all.  Its  truth  enters  into  the  realm  of  human  reason 
and  intelligence.  Nevertheless,  let  the  conviction 
take  firm  hold  on  us  when  we  open  the  Bible,  that 
God  is  here  speaking  to  us. 

2.  In  our  study  of  the  Book  its  unity  should  not 
be  overlooked.  The  Author  of  the  New  Testament 
is  also  the  Author  of  the  Old.  One  mind  pervades 
them  both,  the  mind  of  God.  The  Epistle  to  the 
Hebrews  opens  with  this  sublime  announcement: 
"God  who  at  sundry  times  and  in  divers  manners 
spake  in  time  past  unto  the  fathers  by  the  prophets 
hath  in  these  last  days  spoken  unto  us  by  his  Son  " 
— in  each  case,  whether  by  the  prophets  or  by  the 
Son,  the  Speaker  was  God.  The  Old  Testament  is 
the  promise  and  prophecy  of  the  New,  and  the  New 
is  the  promise  and  prophecy  of  glory.  The  great 
subjects  ot  the  one  are  identical  with  those  of  the 
other.  What  lies  in  the  one  as  buds,  blooms  into 
mature  foliage  and  fruit  in  the  other.  As  an  ancient 
Latin  father  has  well  said:  "The  New  Testament 
lies  concealed  in  the  Old,  and  the  Old  stands  re- 
vealed in  the  New." 

3.  Christ  is  the  center  of  Scripture,  its  one  pre- 
eminent theme,  John  v:39;  Luke  xxiv:27,  44;  Acts 
xxviii:23,   etc.      The   Book   had   a  great  variety  of 


BIBLE   STUDY. 


penmen,  and  these  differed  from  each  other  very 
widely  as   to   gifts,    natural   and   acquired.       They 
range  all  the  way  from  the  highest  poet  and  thinker 
like  Moses,  David,  Isaiah,  Paul  down  to  the  hum- 
blest artisan   and   rustic,  as  were  Amos,  Matthew, 
Mark   and    Peter.      It   stretches   over   a   period   of 
some  1600  years  in  its  composition.     And  yet  it  is  a 
book  essentially  of  one  idea— one  majestic  thought 
runs    through    it    all    from    first    to    last,    binding 
together  its  diversified  parts  into  a  single  and  har- 
monious whole.     Jesus   Christ,  in    His   person   and 
work,  in  His  mission   and  offices,  in   His  first   and 
His  second  advents,  is  the  one  glorious  topic  of  the 
Bible,  its  sum.     Toward  Him  all  its  lines  converge; 
in  Him  all  its  strange  voices  harmonize  and  blend; 
in  Him  its  promises  and  predictions  have  their  ful- 
fillment.    If  we  fail  to   find   Him  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, it  will  become  a  meaningless  and  wearisome 
book'to  us;  for  it  is  a  sort  of  skillfully  arranged  lat- 
tice-work  through  which   the   devout   reader   may 
always  see   the    Redeemer  in   His  wondrous  ways 
with  His  people. 

4.  We  should  come  to  the  Bible  remembering 
the  functions  it  fulfills  in  our  redemption.  Most 
conspicuous  is  the  place  it  holds  in  the  salvation  of 
men.  By  it,  as  the  means  in  the  hands  of  the  Spirit, 
regeneration  is  effected,  Jas.  i:i8;  i  Pet.  1:23.  By  it 
faith  is  nourished,  Rom.  x:i4,  i/i  J^o-  ^124.  By 
hearing  the  words  of  Satan  man  was  lost;  by  hear- 
ing the  words  of  God  men  are  saved;  "He  that 
heareth  my  words  and  believeth  him  that  sent  me 
hath  everlasting  life."  By  the  testimony  of  Script- 
ure we  are  justified.  Rom.  iv:3;  "Abraham  believed 
God  and  it  was  counted  unto  him  for  righteousness." 


8  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

We  also  believe  the  same  divine  testimony  as  to  the 
righteousness  of  God  in  Christ,  and  are  justified. 
By  it  we  are  sanctified.  Jno.  xvii:i7;  2  Thess.  ii:i3. 
By  it  we  grow,  i  Pet.  ii:i-3.  It  is  the  sure  remedy 
for  sins.  Ps.  cxix:ii.  But  why  continue  the  recital? 
There  is  no  stage  in  our  career,  there  is  no  circum- 
scance,  or  condition,  or  relation  possible  to  us,  but 
some  word  of  God  is  exactly  adapted  thereto;  and 
the  chief  aim  of  Bible  study  is  to  lead  us  into  so 
large  and  accurate  acquaintance  with  the  Scriptures 
as  that  we  shall  know  how  to  use  them  for  our 
guidance  and  growth. 

5.  Recognition  of  the  doctrine  of  progress  in  the 
revelation  contained  in  the  Bible  is  another  requisite 
to  a  right  study  of  the  Word.  The  Book  is  one 
of  growth.  Not  all  the  truth  was  given  at  once. 
Gradually  God  communicated  His  mind  to  men, 
Heb.  i:i.  Genesis  contains  in  germ  all  that  the 
books  which  follow  unfold;  the  Pentateuch  holds  in 
latency  all  the  prophetic  writings.  Thus  the  Bible 
becomes  a  living  organism.  Men  build  their  sys- 
tems much  as  they  build  a  house,  laying  beam  on 
beam.  God  constructs  His  revelation  as  He  does 
the  oak  of  the  forest.  He  plants  the  germinal  seed 
amid  the  clods  of  a  wasted  Eden  and  it  grows  and 
expands  parallel  with  the  development  of  the  race. 
We  see  the  progress  referred  to  in  the  revelation  of 
the  law  of  love,  man's  first  duty  to  man.  What 
progress  there  is  from  Genesis  to  i  Cor.  xiii;  and 
yet  the  love  so  wonderfully  opened  in  this  chapter 
,lies  in  germ  in  the  oldest  records  of  the  Bible.  The 
same  truth  is  seen  likewise  as  to  the  doctrine  of  the 
Godhead,  the  divine  Unity  being  first  insisted  on, 
and  then  the  later  revelation  of   the  Trinity.     In 


BIBLE   STUDY.  9 

fact,  progress  touches  every  doctrine  and  duty  of 
which  the  Scriptures  treat. 

6.  Another  thing  to  be  borne  in  mind  is  the 
supreme  authority  of  the  Bible.  God  has  spoken  in 
His  word,  now  speaks.  Our  duty  is  to  hear  and 
obey.  The  Bible  is  not  simply  a  book  of  opinions; 
it  is  not  only  true,  it  is  the  truth,  absolute  and  final. 
Nothing  is  to  usurp  its  functions  or  authority; 
nothing  must  be  suffered  to  become  its  rival.  Man's 
reason  and  word  lead  to  darkness  and  infidelity. 
Man's  word  mixed  with  God's  is  superstition;  God's 
word  alone  is  the  exact  truth,  from  which  there  is 
no  appeal.  Whatever  this  Book  repudiates  is 
heresy;  whatever  it  condemns  is  sin;  whatever  it  is 
silent  on  is  not  essential  to  salvation.  Of  all 
preached  from  the  pulpit,  spoken  from  the  plat- 
form, read  from  the  press,  the  prescription  is  "  Take 
heed  what  ye  hear."  Of  all  spoken  by  the  Lord, 
recorded  by  the  Spirit,  written  in  the  Bible,  the 
injunction  is,  "Take  heed  how  ye  hear."  The  first 
may  be  truth  mingled  with  error,  and  the  duty  is  to 
sift  it,  and  to  separate  what  is  precious  from  what 
is  vicious.  The  last  is  the  pure  truth,  and  the  duty 
lies  not  in  discriminating  where  there  is  nothing  to 
discriminate,  but  in  the  posture  of  mind  we  main- 
tain toward  it, 

To  allow  thu  Book  to  have  supreme  Svvay  over  us 
is  a  vital  point.  Obedience  to  the  Word  a.  we  come 
to  know  the  Wore  is  an  essential  element  in  Bible 
study.  "If  any  man  will  do  his  will  he  shall  know 
of  the  doctrine  whether  it  be  of  God,  or  whether  I 
speak  of  myself,"  Jno.  vii:  17.  This  "obedience  is 
the  organ  of  spiritual  knowledge."  Singleness  of 
heart  to  please  God  is  the  grand  inlet  for  further 


10  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

knowledge.  He  that  honestly  uses  the  light  he  has 
shall  have  more  light,  and  still  more.  "Then  shall 
we  know  if  we  follow  on  to  know  the  Lord."  He 
who  refuses  to  do  God's  will,  as  he  comes  to  know 
that  will,  need  not  be  surprised  if  in  process  of  time 
the  Bible  becomes  to  him  a  sealed  book,  and  the 
light  that  was  in  him  becomes  darkness. 

Second:  The  names  of  God  in  the  Old  Testame?it.  His 
name  is  that  whereby  He  makes  Himself  known. 
His  name  is  a  revelation  of  Himself. 

God  (Elohim),  the  first  divine  name  we  encounter 
in  the  Bible,  Gen.  i:i,  the  most  comprehensive,  per- 
haps, of  all.  It  is  God  who  creates,  who  judges, 
delivers,  and  executes  punishment  on  evil-doers. 

God  Almighty  (El  Shaddai),  the  all-sufficient  One, 
the  infinitely  Able  One.  It  expresses  a  double 
idea,  viz:  God's  almightiness.  His  power  to  fulfill 
every  promise  He  has  made  His  people;  and  His 
faithfulness  in  performing  every  word  He  has 
spoken.  Gen.  xvii:i,  2;  xlviii:3,  4;  xlix:25,  etc. 

LORD  (Jehovah),  a  name  expressive  of  covenant 
relationship,  Ex.  iii:  14,  16;  iii:4;  Lev.  xvi;  Isa.  liii: 
etc.  The  LORD  is  the  Self-existent  and  un- 
changeable One  who  enters  into  covenant  engage- 
ment with  those  who  are  the  objects  of  His  pity  and 
love.  Perhaps  it  is  not  too  much  to  say  that 
Jehovah  is  God  entering  into  history  in  His  redemp- 
tive relations  with  His  people. 

Lord  (Adonai),  Master,  Owner,  Gen.  xv:2-8;  Mai. 
iiiii,  etc.  In  Ezek,  xvi:8,  14,  19,  23,  30,  we  find  the 
,two  names,  Jehovah  and  Lord,  united  together,  and 
they  appear  to  denote  God  as  the  Master  and  Hus- 
band of  His  people  Israel.  The  attentive  reader  of 
the   Bible  Vvill   easily  distinguish   between  the  two 


BIBLE    STUDY.  11 

names  last  mentioned  by  noting  that  Jehovah  is 
always  printed  in  the  best  copies  of  the  Bible  in 
small  capitals,  thus:  Lord,  whilst  the  other  (Adonai) 
is  printed  Lord. 

All  these  great  titles  of  God,  and  others,  are  given 
us  in  the  Old  Testament  as  revelations  and  mani- 
festations of  Him  whom  to  know  is  eternal  life. 
They  designate  God's  various  relations  to  men. 
The  same  thing  obtains  among  us.  My  father  is  a 
man;  he  is  likewise  a  citizen,  an  office-bearer,  and  a 
man  of  affairs.  But  he  is  especially  my  father, 
without  ceasing  to  maintain  his  other  relations. 
God  is  the  Creator,  Sovereign  and  Judge;  but  He  is 
the  Father  of  believers  without  ceasing  to  be  all 
that  is  implied  in  the  other  titles  he  takes. 


12  OUTLINE   STUDIES. 


SCRIPTURE  TYPES. 

Another  matter  which  seems  to  require  mention 
is,  the  Typology  of  the  Bible.  Inadequate  and 
erroneous  views  alike  are  entertained  on  the  subject. 
Some  find  types  everywhere  in  the  Old  Testament, 
specially  in  the  Pentateuch,  others  next  to  none. 
It  is  firmly  believed  that  the  teaching  of  Scripture 
on  the  subject  is  neither  meagre  nor  obscure.  Only 
briefest  notes  are  subjoined. 

That  there  are  types  in  the  Old  Testament  no  one 
would  venture  to  deny.  The  New  Testament  justi- 
fies the  assertion.  It  takes  up  a  large  number  of 
persons  and  events  of  former  dispensations,  and 
treats  them  as  being  prefigurations  and  prophecies 
of  the  future.  One  who  has  not  looked  with  some 
care  into  the  subject  will  be  astonished  to  discover 
how  largely  the  New  Testament  writers  find  pre- 
intimations  and  adumbrations  of  Christ  in  the 
Scriptures  of  the  Old.  Care  must  be  had,  however, 
in  the  pursuit  of  such  a  study,  for  we  are  not 
inspired.  Let  this  two-fold  caution  be  our  guide: 
(i)  Not  to  seek  for  types  everywhere;  (2)  never  to 
press  the  typical  teaching  to  such  an  extent  as  to 
imperil  the  historical  character  of  the  Bible.  Let  it 
be  remembered  that  exposition  is  not  imposition, 
nor  is  it  interpretation  to  draw  out  what  we  have  first 
read  in. 


SCRIPTUKE    TYPES.  13 

Our  word  type  is  derived  from  the  Greek  term 
tupos^  which  occurs  sixteen  times  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment. It  is  variously  translated,  e.  g.,  twice  prints 
John  xx:25;  twice  figure,  Acts  vii:43;  Rom.  v:i4; 
oxic^  fashion,  Acts  vii:44;  oncQ  majiner,  Acts  xxiii:25; 
oncQ  form,  Rom.  viii/;  twice  pattern,T\i\xs  ii:;;  Heb. 
viii:5;  and  seven  times  ^;t:^;;//>/^,  i  Cor.  x:6,  ii;  Phil. 
iii:i7;  i  Thess.  i:/;  2  Thess.  iii:9;  i  Tim.  iv:i2;  i 
Pet.  v:3.  It  is  clear  from  these  texts  that  the 
inspired  writers  use  the  word  type  with  some  degree 
of  latitude  of  application.  Nevertheless,  we  observe 
that  one  general  idea  is  common  to  them  all,  one 
thought  predominates;  viz,  likeness.  A  person, 
event,  or  thing  is  so  appointed  or  fashioned  as  that 
it  resembles  another:  the  one  is  made  to  answer  to 
the  other  in  some  essential  particulars;  the  one 
matches  the  other  in  some  prominent  feature.  The 
two  things  thus  related  receive  the  names  of  type 
and  anti-type;  and  the  link  which  binds  them 
together  is  this  correspondence,  or  resemblance,  of 
the  one  with  the  other. 

Types  are  a  set  of  pictures,  or  object-lessons  by 
which  God  would  teach  His  people  about  His  grace 
and  saving  power.  The  Mosaic  system  was  a  sort 
of  kindergarten  school;  and  yet  some  of  the  deep- 
est things  of  revelation  are  found  in  these  ancient 
types.  An  old  writer  has  said,  "  God  in  the  types  of 
the  last  dispensation  was  teaching  His  children 
their  letters.  In  this  dispensation  He  is  teaching 
them  to  put  these  letters  together,  and  they  find 
that  the  letters,  arrange  them  as  they  will,  spell 
Christ,  and  nothing  but  Christ."' 

In  creation  God  uses  one  thing  for  many  purposes 
One  simple  instrument  meets  many  ends.     For  how 


14  OTJTLINE    STUDIES. 

many  ends  does  water  serve!  And  the  atmosphere: 
— it  supplies  the  lungs,  supports  fire,  conveys  sound, 
diffuses  odors,  gives  rain,  wafts  ships,  fulfills  besides 
one  does  not  know  how  many  other  purposes.  And 
God's  Word  is  like  His  work,  is  His  work,  and  like 
creation,  it,  too,  is  inexhaustible.  How  large  a 
place  the  ark  of  the  covenant  filled  in  Israel!  It 
was  the  central  piece  of  the  tabernacle;  at  it  God 
gave  communications  to  His  servants;  at  it  propiti- 
ation was  made  or  completed;  it  led  the  people;  it 
parted  the  waters  of  the  Jordan;  and  yet  what  a 
type  of  good  things  to  come  the  ark  was.  So  also 
was  the  high  priest,  who,  notwithstanding  the 
varied  service  he  rendered  the  people,  was,  in  all 
that  he  did  and  in  his  very  office  and  dress,  an  emi- 
nent type  of  Christ.  Whatever  God  touches,  be  it 
a  mighty  sun  or  an  insect's  wing,  a  great  prophecy 
or  a  little  type,  He  perfects,  for  the  place  and  the 
end  for  which  He  designed  it. 

I.  What  are  the  distinctive  features  of  types?  A 
type  to  be  such  must  possess  three  qualities,  i.  It 
must  be  a  true  picture  of  the  thing  it  represents  or 
typifies.  Hence  a  type  is  a  draft  or  image  of  some 
great  feature  of  redemption.  2.  The  type  must  be 
of  divine  appointment.  The  type  is  designed  in 
its  original  institution  to  resemble  its  antitype. 
Both  are  pre-ordained  as  constituent  parts  of  the 
scheme  of  redemption.  As  centuries  often  lie 
between  the  type  and  its  accomplishment  in  the 
antitype,  of  course  infinite  wisdom  alone  could  in- 
stitute and  ordain  the  one  to  be  the  picture  of  the 
other.  Only  God  can  make  types.  3.  A  type  al- 
ways prefigures  something  future.  In  all  Scripture 
types  there  is  prophecy.     Prediction  and  type  differ 


SCRIPTURE    TYPES.  15 

in  form  rather  than  in  nature.  This  fact  distin- 
guishes between  a  symbol  and  a  type:  a  symbol 
may  represent  a  thing  of  the  present  or  past  as  well 
as  one  of  the  future — e.  g.,the  symbols  in  the  Lord's 
supper.  A  type  always  looks  toward  the  future. 
Another  thing  in  the  study  of  types  should  be  borne 
in  mind,  viz.,  that  a  thing  in  itself  evil,  can  never  be 
the  type  of  good. 

II.  Classification  of  types.  They  may  be  distrib- 
uted under  three  heads:  i.  Personal  types;  by 
which  are  meant  those  personages  of  Scripture 
whose  lives  illustrate  some  truth  or  principle  of  re- 
demption. Such  are  Adam,  Melchizedek,  Abraham, 
Moses,  Jonah,  etc.  2.  Historical:  in  which  are  in- 
cluded the  great  historical  events  that  under  the 
guidance,  of  Providence  became  striking  fore- 
shadowings  of  good  things  to  come:  e.  g.,  the  deliv- 
erance from  Egypt,  wilderness  journey,  conflict  for 
Canaan,  etc.  3.  Ritual:  such  as  the  altar,  sacrifices, 
priesthood,  tabernacle,  etc.  There  are  typical  per- 
sons, places,  times,  things,  actions,  in  the  Old 
Testament  Scriptures,  and  a  reverent  study  of  them 
leads  into  acquaintance  with  the  fullness  and  blessed- 
ness of  the  Word. 

III.  Characteristic  differences  in  the  types  of 
certain  books  of  the  Bible,  i.  Those  of  Genesis 
are  mainly  personal  and  historical.  It  is  the  book 
of  beginnings — of  sin  and  judgment;  of  mercy  and 
forgiveness.  Accordingly,  here  are  types  which 
connect  with  the  person  and  work  of  the  Deliverer: 
e.g.  Adam,  Melchizedek,  Abraham,  Joseph  (see Rom. 
v:T4;  Rom.  iv:i-25;  Gal.  iii:6-i4;  Heb.  vii:;).  2.  The 
types  of  Exodus  have  other  features.  They  bring 
out  more  especially  the   precious    doctrine    of   re- 


16  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

demption  by  blood,  and  its  blessed  consequences. 
The  passover,  appointment  of  the  priesthood,  and 
the  tabernacle,  are  the  proof  of  it.  The  blood  of 
the  paschal  lamb  lay  at  the  foundation  of  Israel's 
relation  with  God,  and  it  prefigured,  at  the  same 
time,  that  great  redemption  which  Christ  in  due  time 
was  to  accomplish:  Ex.  xv:i3,  i6,  17;  i  Cor.  v:/.  3. 
Those  of  Leviticus  differ  from  the  preceding.  Here 
we  find  types  that  contemplate  access  to  God;  res- 
toration to  the  divine  favor  when  sin  has  come  in  to 
interrupt  communion,  and  holiness  of  person  and 
walk.  Of  course,  the  ritual  of  Leviticus  has  to  do 
with  sin,  but  it  is  the  sin  of  a  people  who  have  been 
redeemed  from  bondage,  and  separated  unto  God; 
and  this  fact  invests  the  types  of  the  book  with  a 
peculiar  character.  4.  Those  of  Numbers  are  sug- 
gestive of  the  wilderness  life  and  pilgrim  journey  of 
the  people  of  God.  5.  In  the  types  of  Joshua  we 
encounter  another  phase  of  the  general  subject. 
These  relate  to  the  possession  of  the  promised  in- 
heritance, and  the  soldier  life,  as  we  may  call  it,  of 
the  saints.  Joshua  should  be  studied  in  connection 
with  the  Epistle  to  the  Ephesians.  The  two  books 
match  each  other  as  type  and  antitype.  Further- 
more, the  types  of  Genesis  are  mainly  intended  for 
the  instruction  of  the  individual  believer;  while 
those  of  the  books  that  follow  contemplate  a  cor- 
porate body  of  worshipers. 

IV.  How  much  of  the  Old  Testament  is  to  be 
regarded  as  typical?  Two  extremes  are  to  be 
avoided.  First,  the  extravagance  of  the  Church 
Fathers,  as  Origen,  Jerome  and  Ambrose  (revived  in 
our  day  by  Andrew  Jukes).  They  sought  for  types 
in  every  incident  and  transaction  recorded  in  Script 


SCEIPTURE    TYPES.  17 

ure.  Even  the  most  simple  circumstance  was 
believed  to  hide  in  itself  the  most  recondite  truth. 
Mystery  and  mysticism  were  seen  everywhere,  in 
the  cords  and  pegs  of  the  Tabernacle,  in  the  fruits 
of  the  field,  in  the  yield  of  herds,  in  the  death  of 
one,  and  marriage  of  another.  The  serious  objection 
to  this  system  is,  that  it  wrests  Scripture  out  of  the 
sphere  of  the  natural  and  locates  it  in  that  of  the 
arbitrary  and  fanciful:  it  ignores  the  historical  facts 
and  tends  to  destroy  the  validity  of  the  record. 
Second,  the  undue  contraction  of  the  typical  ele- 
ment. Prof.  Moses  Stuart  expresses  the  view 
as  follows:  "Just  so  much  of  the  Old  Testament  is 
to  be  accounted  typical  as  the  New  Testament 
affirms  to  be  so,  and  no  more."  This  opinion  as- 
sumes that  the  New  Testament  writers  have  ex- 
hausted the  types  of  the  Old,  whereas  these  exam- 
ples of  the  typical  bearing  of  the  Old  Testament 
are  obviously  but  samples  taken  from  the  storehouse 
where  many  more  are  found.  If  they  are  not,  then 
nothing  is  more  arbitrary  than  the  New  Testament 
use  of  types.  For  there  is  nothing  to  distinguish 
these  from  a  multitude  of  others  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment to  which  the  typical  element  so  manifestly 
belongs.  The  view  assumes  that  divine  authority 
alone  can  determine  the  reality  and  import  of  types 
— a  view  that  applies  with  equal  force  against 
prophecy.  Besides,  it  unwarrantably  separates  the 
two  Testaments,  and  discards  a  large  portion  of  the 
Old.  Wherever  the  three  characteristic  features 
already  mentioned  are  found  in  any  event,  transac- 
tion or  person  of  the  Old  Testament  there  is  a  type- 


18  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 


GENESIS. 

The  title  of  the  first  book  of  the  Bible  is  of  very 
ancient  date,  and  is  well  chosen.  Ge?iesis  means  the 
source  or  primal  cause  of  things;  and  this  book  re- 
lates the  beginning  or  origination  of  the  earth  and 
all  that  it  contains.  Genesis  also  is  the  beginning 
of  the  revelation  of  God  to  man,  the  Bible.  Here 
are  the  germs,  the  deeply  fastened  roots  of  all  that 
follows  after.  Here  are  the  beginnings  of  the  hu- 
man race,  the  family,  the  community  and  the  na- 
tion, of  sin  and  sacrifice,  of  promise  and  prophecy, 
of  language,  of  arts,  civilization  and  history. 

Broadly,  the  first  five  books  of  Scripture  may  be 
described  thus:  Genesis  records  the  introduction 
of  sin  into  the  world,  and  its  consequences;  Exodus 
teaches  the  doctrine  of  redemption  by  blood;  Levit- 
icus, access  to  God,  worship,  holiness;  Numbers, 
the  pilgrim  life  of  God's  people;  Deuteronomy, 
obedience,  the  blessedness  of ,  obeying  God,  the 
misery  attending  disobedience. 

Genesis  falls  naturally  into  two  parts:  Part  I., 
chapters  i-xi,  which  contain  a  very  brief  but  very 
comprehensive  history  of  the  world  from  the  crea- 
tion to  the  confusion  of  tongues;  Part  H.,  chapters 
xii-1,  which  narrate  the  history  of  Abraham  and  his 
family  to  the  death  of  his  great  grandson  Joseph. 
By   far  the  larger   portion  of  the  book,  it   is  thus 


GENESIS. 


19 


seen,  is  occupied  with  the  story  of  the  chosen  peo- 
ple, Abraham  and  his  descendants;  and  from  this 
twelfth  chapter  of  Genesis  to  the  close  of  the  Old 
Testament,  the  Bible  is  devoted  to  Israel  and  to 
God's  ways  with  that  favored  but  disobedient  race. 
The  principal  topics  of  the  book  are  the  follow- 
ing: 

I.     Creation,  Gen.  i.     All  readers  must  admire  the 
simple  majesty  of  this  remarkable   chapter.     Three 
times  the  word  "create"  is  used  in   it,   verses   i,  21, 
27,  and  each  time  it  marks  an  epoch  or  era  in  the 
sublime  process   of    the   Almighty's   work.     Some 
timid  Christians  have  been  not  a  little  disturbed  by 
alleged   scientific   discoveries   which    appeared    to 
antagonize  if  not  demolish  this  Mosaic  account  of 
creation.     They  were  needlessly  alarmed.     As  time 
goes  on  and  thoughtful  men   come  to  know  more 
about  the  truth  of  this  marvelous  universe  in  which 
we  dwell,  they  approach  closer  and  closer  to  Moses' 
record.  Never,  perhaps,  in  the  history  of  scientific  in- 
vestigation, did  Gen.i.  stand  so  solidly  and  triumph- 
antly  as    now!      ''In   the    year    1806,    the    Frenchi 
Institute   enumerated  not  less  than  eighty  geolog- 
ical theories  which  were  hostile  to  the  Scriptures; 
but  not  one  of  those  theories  is  held  today"  (Prof. 
Lyell,  cited  by  Dr.  Townsend).      If  the    Bible  is 
God's  book,  we  may  settle  it  definitely  in  our  mmds 
that  it  will  come  forth  out  of  the  smoke  of  battle 
with  a  lustre  all  the  brighter  for  the  conflict.     This 
account   of  creation   reveals  the  unity,  power   and 
personality    of   God.      It    denies   polytheism-one 
God  creates.     It  denies  the  eternity  ot  matter—"  in 
the  beginning"  God  made  it.    It  denies  pantheism- 
God  is  before  all  things,  and  apart  from  them.     It 


20 


OrTLINE    STUDIES. 


denies  fatalism — God  here  as  everywhere  acts  in  the 
freedom  of  His  eternal  Being  (Murphy). 

2.  The  Fall,  chapter  iii.  "The  story  of  the  fall, 
like  that  of  creation,  has  wandered  over  the  world. 
Heathen  nations  have  transplanted  and  mixed  it  up 
with  their  geography,  their  history,  their  mythol- 
ogy, although  it  has  never  so  completely  changed 
form  and  color  and  spirit  that  you  cannot  recognize 
it"  (Delitzsch). 

One  of  the  strange  proofs  of  the  truthfulness  of 
this  account,  if  proof  were  needed,  is  found  in  the 
universal  presence  of  serpent  worship  in  the  olden 
times.  It  was  practiced  in  China,  India,  Palestine, 
Greece,  Ireland,  Italy,  Africa — in  short,  all  over  the 
world.  No  other  religious  form  was  more  com- 
mon, save  sun-worship,  with  which  this  was  usually 
associated.  Our  own  continent  bears  testimony  to 
its  presence  in  some  of  the  ancient  remains.  In 
southern  Ohio  there  exists  a  huge  snake  made  out 
of  earth  and  stones,  a  thousand  feet  long  or  more, 
and  which  was  once  an  object  of  homage  on  the 
part  of  the  aborigines.  The  savage  of  Louisiana 
carried  a  serpent  and  sun,  the  symbols  of  his  re- 
ligion, and  tattooed  them  on  his  skin.  In  Mexico 
the  serpent  is  found  in  the  rude  pictures  of  that 
strange  people,  the  Aztecs,  entwined  with  their 
most  sacred  symbols.  The  main  elements  of  ser- 
pent-worship were,  a  tree,  a  woman,  and  a  serpent. 
George  Smith  in  his  *^ Chaldean  Account  of  Gene- 
sis" presents  his  readers  with  a  fac-simile  of  a 
drawing  found  in  the  excavations  about  Babylon 
which  has  two  figures  sitting  on  either  side  of  a  tree, 
holding  out  their  hands  toward  the  fruit,  while  back 
of  one  of  them    is   stretched  a   serpent.     Singular 


GENESIS.  21 

that  rational  beings  should  pay  their  highest  honors 
to  a  repulsive  snake! 

It  was  one  aim  of  the  old  Serpent,  the  Devil,  in 
the  temptation  of  our  first  parents,  to  put  himself 
in  the  place  of  God  as  an  object  of  worship.  How 
well  he  succeeded,  the  universality  of  this  form  of 
idolatry  attests. 

3.  The  Flood,  chapters  vi-viii.  There  are  three 
supreme  tragedies  connected  with  the  history  of 
our  race;  the  fall,  the  flood  and  the  cross.  The 
flood  was  God's  judgment  on  the  guilty  world;  Cal- 
vary was  His  judgment  on  the  sins  of  His  people  in 
the  person  of  their  blessed  Substitute,  Christ. 

The  sin  which  called  down  the  judgment  of 
heaven  on  the  apostate  race  is  referred  to  in  Gen. 
xi:i-8.  It  was  the  intermarriage  of  the  sons  of  God 
with  the  daughters  of  men.  Who  are  meant  by  the 
"sons  of  God?"  Many  interpreters  think  the 
angels.  There  are  very  strong  objections  to  this 
view.  Good  angels  would  not  commit  this  sin:  bad 
angels  are  not  called  "sons  of  God."  The  statement 
in  Jude  6,  7,  may  mean  that  the  sin  of  the  fallen 
angels  was  spiritually  what  that  of  Sodom  was 
carnally.  Besides,  the  offspring  of  these  unholy 
alliances  are  called  men,  which  they  could  not  be 
if  the  product  of  demons  and  women.  Gen.  vi:4,  5. 
It  seems  more  natural  and  Scriptural  to  regard  the 
"  sons  of  God"  as  the  pious  Sethites.  Already  the 
separation  of  the  godly  from  the  wicked  had  taken 
place.  Gen.  iv:26.  The  former  called  themselv^es  by 
the  name  of  the  Lord.  Their  sin  was  their  break- 
ing through  the  barrier,  ignoring  their  call  and 
character,  and  their  going  over  into  the  ranks  of  the 
wicked  and  contracting  evil  alliances  with  them.     It 


22  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

was   deliberate   and  universal   apostasy   from   God. 

4.  Origi?i  of  la?iguages  and  nationalities,  chapters 
X,  xi.  The  tenth  chapter  anticipates  the  disaster 
recorded  in  the  eleventh.  The  division  of  one  race 
into  tribes  and  nations  was  necessitated  by  the  con- 
fusion of  tongues.  Sixty-nine  are  mentioned,  of 
whom  sixteen  are  independent  and  the  rest  affiliated 
nations. 

This  is  another  fruit  of  sin,  the  first  sin.  What  a 
prolific  thing  sin  is!  Good  may  have  arisen  from 
the  formation  of  separate  nations  and  the  partition 
of  the  earth  among  them;  but  how  much  evil  like- 
wise. How  these  nations  have  trampled  each  other 
out  in  the  rage  of  their  huge  passions. 

Tongues  originated  in  judgment,  the  gift  of 
tongues  in  grace.  When  God  gave  the  law  telling 
what  man  ought  to  be.  He  spoke  in  one  language. 
When  He  told  at  Pentecost  what  He  is.  He  spoke 
in  many  tongues.  What  a  barrier  difference  of 
language  is  to  intercourse  among  the  peoples  of  the 
earth;  what  an  obstacle  to  the  progress  of  missions, 
and  even  to  a  full  knowledge  of  the  inspired  word! 
No  wonder  John  Trapp  wrote  (1660)  this  about  it: 
"This  great  labor  hath  God  laid  upon  the  sons  of 
men,  that  a  great  part  of  our  best  time  is  spent 
about  the  shell  (in  learning  of  language)  before  we 
can  come  at  the  kernel  of  true  wisdom,  especially 
Scripture  wisdom."  In  the  last  book  of  the  Bible, 
Babel,  Shinar,  tribes,  nations  and  tongues  are  all 
gone;  and  paradise  lost  is  succeeded  by  paradise  re- 
gained. 

5.  The  Chosen  People,  xii-1.  This  part  of  Gen- 
esis relates  to  the  origin  of  the  Hebrews  and  their 
history    from    Abraham    to    the    emigrations    into 


GENESIS.  23 

Egypt.     In  it  we  have  (i)  Abraham's  call,  xii.     His 
ancestors  were  idolaters,  Josh.xxiv:2.     As  a  solemn 
protest  against  that  system,  as  also  the  forming  of 
the   new   stock   from   which   the    Messiah   was    to 
spring  was  Abraham  led  away  from  his  country  and 
friends.     There  seem  to   be  two  stages   in  his  call. 
The  first,  when  he  left  Ur  and  settled  at  Haran,  Acts 
vii:3;  Gen.  xi  129-32.     The  second,  when  he  departed 
from  Haran  and  dwelt  in   Canaan,  Gen.  xi:i-6.     He 
was  60  when  he  departed   from  Ur,  and   75  when  he 
went   forth   from   Haran.     He  went  out  blindfold, 
but  the  God  of  glory  led  him  by  the  hand,  Heb.  xi: 
8.     (2)   God's   covenant    with    Abraham,   xv.     The 
parties  are,  God  and  the  patriarch — but  God  does 
all,  pledges  all,   promises  all;  and   it  is  all  of  grace, 
there  being  no  conditions  to  be  fulfilled  by  Abra- 
ham.    (3)     Ratification  of  the  covenant,  xvii.     Cir- 
cumcision, its  sign  and  seal  added.     (4)     The  cov- 
enant attested  by  God's  oath,  xxii.     (5)  The  history 
of  Isaac,  xxiv-xxvi.    Twice  was  the  covenant  ratified 
to   Isaac;  once  at   Gerar,   then  at   Beersheba,  xxvi. 
(6)     The  history  of  Jacob,  xxvii-xxxv.     The   cov- 
enant was  confirmed  to  Jacob  at  Bethel,  xxviii  (first 
time);  at  Bethel,  xxxv  (second  time);  at  Beersheba, 
xlvi;  when  on  the  way  to  Egypt.     These  three  patri- 
archs are  the  covenant-heads  of  Israel — and  the  en- 
actment and    ratification   of   the   covenant   are  the 
prominent  features  of  their  lives.     After  the  descent 
into  Egypt  by  Jacob  and  his  household,  no  more 
mention  of  it  is  made  till  the  Exodus.     (7)  The  his- 
tory of  Joseph,  xxxvii-l. 

6.  Chronology.  The  dates  here  given  are  only 
approximate.  The  chronology  of  the  Bible  is  diffi- 
cult to  unravel. 


24  OUTLINE    STirDIE8. 

From  Adam  to  the  flood,  1656  years. 

From  flood  to  call  of  Abraham,  367,  or  427,  if  born 
at  130  of  Terah's  age. 

From  call  of  Abraham  to  Jacob's  migration  into 
Egypt,  215. 

Sojourn  in  Egypt,  430. 

Abraham  was  about  100  years  old  when  Isaac  was 
born.  Isaac  was  59  and  Abraham  159  when  Jacob 
was  born.  Jacob's  life  overlaped  Abraham's  sixteen 
years.  Jacob  was  130  when  he  migrated  to  Egypt. 
Rawlinson  is  of  opinion  his  "household"  numbered 
at  that  time  3,400  souls,  ("Moses,"  p.  2).  Joseph 
was  39  when  his  father  went  down  to  him,  and  he 
survived  Jacob  about  fifty-four  years. 

Tra7ismissio}i  of  the  aiicietit  traditions.  Noah  could 
receive  from  his  father  Lamech  what  he  had  re- 
ceived direct  from  Adam:  Shem  could  transmit 
it  to  Abraham,  and  he  to  Jacob.  So  that  the  ac- 
count of  the  Creation,  the  Fall,  the  Flood,  and 
Abraham's  call  could  pass  through  only  five  hands 
between  Adam  and  Jacob. 

.  7.  A  prominent  fact  that  Genesis  teaches  is  the 
connection  between  sin  and  suffering.  These  two 
have  been  named  the  "Twin  Serpents,"  and  the 
name  is  well  chosen.  Sin,  suffering;  the  one  fol- 
lows the  other  as  certainly  as  night  the  day.  It  is  a 
fixed  and  imperative  law.  Expulsion  from  Eden 
follows  the  transgression  of  our  first  parents.  Ex- 
pulsion from  the  presence  of  the  Lord  was  Cain's 
'punishment.  The  flood  was  the  necessary  issue  of 
the  admixture  of  the  "sons  of  God"  with  the 
"daughters  of  men,"  Gen.  vi:2,  3.  It  is  always  so; 
it  is  the  history  of  man.  He  that  sins  must  suffer. 
He  that  is  profligate  in  his  youth  must  have  rotten- 


GENESIS. 


25 


ness  in  his  bones,  a  worm  that  never  dies,  and  a 
tongue  that  no  drop  can  cool,  if  he  repent  not.  "  Be 
not  deceived;  God  is  not  mocked;  whatsoever  a 
man  soweth,  that  shall  he  also  reap,"  Gal.  vi:;,  8. 
That!  Not  another  kind  of  harvest,  but  //^^/— the 
product  of  the  seed  sown. 

8.  Another  great  truth  taught  in  this  earliest 
record  of  human  things  is  separation.  No  sooner 
had  sin  entered  into  the  world  than  God  began  to 
call  out  His  own  servants  and  people  from  among 
the  ungodly.  From  the  beginning  He  drew  the 
line  of  separation  between  His  own  and  the  wicked 
broad  and  deep.  When  His  people  crossed  the 
line,  went  over  into  the  camp  of  the  enemy,  cor- 
ruption ensued,  and  judgment  fell  on  the  guilty 
world.  This  principle  holds  still:  "  Come  out  from 
among  them,  and  be  ye  separate,  saith  the  Lord, 

2  Cor.  vi:i7,  i8. 

9.  Da?izerous  Confederacies.  We  have  an  example 
of  such  danger  in  the  oldest  Union  of  which  history 
speaks,  that  of  Babel,  and  its  huge  tower.  The  an- 
nals of  the  race  are  full  of  the  like  disastrous  efforts 
of  men  to  unite  in  compact  bodies  independent  of 
God.  and  in  hostility  to  His  will.  The  business  of 
a  Christian  is  to  keep  clear  of  all  entanglmg  alli- 
ances. ''  Shouldest  thou  help  the  ungodly,  and  love 
them  that  hate  the  Lord?"  2  Chron.  xix:2. 


26  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 


EXODUS. 

The  second  book  of  Scripture  is  closely  connected 
with  the  first.  Nozv  might  be  read  And:  for  the  first 
verse  of  Exodus  is  a  repetition  of  Gen.  xlvi:8.  The 
whole  law  is  a  conjunction,  the  schoolmen  used  to 
say.  Exodus  continues  the  story  of  the  chosen 
people.  The  theme  of  the  book  is  the  deliverance 
of  Israel  from  the  oppression  of  Egypt,  and  their 
separation  to  God.  The  key-verse  is  Exodus  xii:i3; 
the  key- word,  blood. 

The  chief  figure  is  Moses,  whose  life  is  divided 
into  three  periods  of  forty  years  each,  forty  years' 
training  in  the  learning  of  Egypt;  forty  years'  train- 
ing in  God's  school  in  the  desert,  Ex.  iii;i;  and  forty 
years  as  the  leader  and  law-giver  of  Israel, 

The  book  may  be  divided  into  three  parts: 

I.  Bondage  of  Egypt,   chaps,  i-v. 

II.  God's  intervention  for  Israel's  deliverance, 
vi-xviii. 

III.  The  Law  at  Sinai;  The  Theocracy  consti- 
tuted, xix-xl. 

Exodus  has  three  principal  topics,  viz.:  the  pass- 
over,  the  law,  and  the  tabernacle;  i,  e.,  redemption, 
obedience,  worship;  life,  loyalty,  love. 

I.  TJie  Oppression,  chapters  i,  ii.  How  long  it 
continued  before  God  interfered  on  behalf  of  Hi? 
suffering  people,  is  not  known.     Probably  it  culmi' 


EXODUS.  27 

nated  under  the  long  reign  of  the  great  monarch 
Rameses  II,  "Child  of  the  Sun,"  "whose  proud  and 
scornful  face  with  its  curling  nostril  and  peculiar 
fall  of  the  lower  lip,  with  its  long  profile  so  majestic 
and  oeautiful,  is  seen  on  the  monuments  of  Egypt 
to  this  day"  (Stanley).  It  was  this  man,  no  doubt, 
to  whom  it  was  pretended  the  gods  gave  the  fal- 
chion of  destruction  with  the  command,  "Slay,  and 
slay,  and  slay,"  who  caused  the  Israelites  to  serve 
with  rigor,  and  who  made  their  lives  bitter.  God 
saw  their  affliction,  and  came  down  for  their  deliv- 
erance. "When  the  tale  of  bricks  is  doubled  then 
comes  Moses."  This  is  the  proverb  which  has  sus- 
tained the  Jews  through  many  a  long  oppression, 

2.  The  Jiidgrnents  on  Egypt,  chapters  vii-xi.  As 
we  read  the  description  of  the  ten  plagues,  we  dis- 
cover that  each  of  them  is  aimed  at  some  idolatrous 
practice,  or  at  some  despotic  feature  of  the  gov- 
ernment of  the  Egyptians.  It  was  not  an  ordinary 
river  whose  waters  were  turned  into  blood,  but  the 
sacred  Nile,  to  which  religious  honors  were  paid.  It 
was  not  the  common  cattle  that  died  in  the  fields, 
but  the  calf  of  Heliopolis,  the  bull  of  Memphis,  to 
both  of  which  worship  was  given.  It  was  a  nation 
that  worshipped  the  sun,  that  called  its  king  "the 
Child  of  the  Sun,"  which  sat  in  darkness  for  three 
days.  It  was  the  governing  class,  the  haughty  men 
who  wielded  the  absolute  power  of  death,  the  proud 
and  stubborn  nation,  whose  first  born  were  smitten 
with  death.  What  God  did  in  Egypt  was  for  a  sig7i 
to  men.  He  poured  shame  and  ruin  on  the  beast- 
worship,  water-worship,  sun-worship,  and  tyranny 
of  the  land. 

3.  The  Passover,  chapters  xii,  xiii.     This   is   the 


28  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

prominent  feature  of  Exodus,  and  one  of  the  most 
significant  ordinances  of  Israel's  after-history.  The 
fundamental  doctrine  of  atonement,  revealed  in 
Genesis,  speaks  forth  in  this  second  book  in  unmis- 
takable terms.  Israel  was  sheltered  by  the  blood 
on  the  night  when  the  angel-destroyer  passed 
through  the  land.  God's  word  about  the  blood  was, 
"When  I  see  the  blood  I  will  pass  over  you." 
They  were  a  poor,  enslaved,  ignorant  people, 
despised  by  their  masters,  degraded  in  their  own 
eyes.  But  with' the  blood-sign  of  atonement  upon 
them,  they  were  "comely"  in  God's  sight.  "Thou 
seest  no  iniquity  in  Jacob  nor  perverseness  in  thine 
Israel,"  was  Balaam's  testimony  not  long  after. 
Blood  redeemed,  sanctified,  and  delivered  them. 

The  exodus  marked  a  new  era  in  the  history  of 
the  chosen  people.  The  month  of  deliverance  be- 
came the  first  of  their  calendar  ever  after.  It  was 
pre-eminently  Israel's  redemption  whereby  they 
were  brought  into  new  and  more  intimate  relations 
with  God,  just  as  the  death  of  Christ  who  "is  our 
passover,  sacrificed  for  us,"  is  the  eternal  salvation 
of  all  believers. 

4.  Si?iai  a?id  the  Law,  chapters  xix-xxiv.  Save 
Calvary,  no  other  spot  is  hallowed  with  such  stu- 
pendous scenes  as  Sinai.  Everything  around  tended 
to  make  the  occasion  a  most  impressive  one.  The 
massive  grandeur  of  those  rocky  heights,  the  frown- 
ing peaks  in  all  directions  encircling  the  mount, 
•with  every  outward  form  of  animal  and  vegetable 
life  withdrawn;  the  thunders  and  the  lightnings; 
the  voice  of  the  trumpet,  the  descent  of  the  dark- 
ness on  the  summit,  all  combined  to  render  the  rev- 
elation there  given  the  most  solemn  and   imposing. 


EXODUS.  29 

The  law  given  at  Sinai  consists  of  two  parts:  the 
decalogue,  and  the  secondary  laws  which  flow  from 
it.  Lying  at  the  base  of  all  other  legislation  of 
the  Jewish  dispensation  are  the  ten  commandments. 
These  "Ten  Words,"  as  they  are  called,  constitute 
the  very  essence  of  the  covenant  with  Israel.  Con- 
sidered as  a  religious  and  ethical  code,  the  deca- 
logue sums  up  in  the  tersest  form  all  human  duties, 
whether  toward  God  or  man. 

The  secondary  laws  are  those  which  springing  out 
of  the  decalogue,  were  more  particularly  intended 
to  regulate  the  conduct  of  the  people  in  their  rela- 
tions with  one  another,  chapters  xxi-xxiii.  They 
may  be  thus  grouped:  Laws  connected  with  the 
rights  of  persons,  of  property,  the  Sabbath  and  fes- 
tivals. They  are  civil,  criminal  and  ceremo-Mal 
laws.  Israel  constituted  a  theocracy.  God  was  the 
Head  and  Sovereign;  the  people  were  to  be  a  nation 
of  priests  unto  Him;  therefore  holy,  upright,  pure 
and  honest. 

5.  Tlie  place  of  worship,  the  tabernacle,  chapters 
xxv-xl.  It  was  the  Lord's  dwelling-place  among 
His  people,  xxv.  It  is  commonly  called  "the  tab- 
ernacle of  the  congregation,"  as  if  it  were  the  meet- 
ing-place of  the  tribes.  But  this  is  not  all  the 
meaning  of  the  phrase.  The  revision  of  the  Old 
Testament  has  done  good  service  in  the  cause  of 
truth  in  rendering  it  uniformly,  "  the  tent  of  the 
meeting,"  for  it  was  here  that  God  and  His  people 
met  together;  here  that  He  gave  forth  His  oracles 
for  their  guidance  and  instruction.  It  is  quite  sug- 
gestive that  He  chose  a  tent  for  His  dwelling.  It 
denotes  how  completely  and  graciously  He  identi- 
fied  Himself  with  His  own.     If  they  dwell  in  tents, 


30  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

SO  will  He.  If  they  journey,  He  will  also  Where 
they  go  He  goes.  "In  all  their  affliction  He  was 
afflicted." 

The  tabernacle  had  two  compartments,  the  first 
called  the  Holy  Place  in  which  were  the  golden 
Candlestick,  the  Table  of  Shew-bread,  and  the  Altar 
of  incense — i.  e.,  light,  food,  communion;  the  second, 
the  Most  Holy  Place  which  contained  the  Ark  of 
the  Covenant,  with  its  Mercy-seat  or  Propitiatory, 
and  overshadowing  cherubim — the  Throne  of  the 
Lord,  that  symbolized  the  Throne  of  Grace,  Heb. 
iv:i6.  The  compartments  were  separated  by  a 
strongly  woven  veil,  four  fingers  in  thickness,  the 
Rabbins  say,  with  its  three  colors,  blue,  purple,  and 
scarlet,  in-wrought  with  symbolic  figures.  The 
Most  Holy  Place  was  shrouded  in  darkness,  and 
was  inaccessible  save  to  the  High  Priest  who  en- 
tered it  but  once  a  year.  A  court  surrounded  the 
Tabernacle  within  which  were  placed  the  Altar  of 
Sacrifice  and  the  Lavar,  and  the  Priests  and  Levites 
lodged.  Kitto's  estimate  of  the  cost  of  the  Holy 
Tent  is  ;^i, 250,000;  William  Brown's,  ^1,500,000. 

'  That  the  Tabernacle  was  designed  to  embody 
vital  truth  and  teach  it  to  God's  people  is  certain. 
In  Heb.  ix-.Q  we  are  told  it  was  "a  parable  for  the 
time  then  present" — an  object-lesson  to  faith.  What 
did  it  teach?  (i)  It  symbolized  God's  presence 
with  His  people,  Ex.  xxv:8,  "That  I  may  dwell 
among  them,  Ex.  xxix:44-46.  Cf.  2  Cor.  vi:T6.  (2) 
,It  taught  the  necessity  of  holiness.  God's  dwelling 
with  His  people  in  the  Tabernacle  demanded  holi- 
ness on  their  part,  Lev.  xx:26;  xxi:8;  Num.  v:3, 
etc.  It  was  His  presence  with  them  that  made 
them  what  they  were.     He  identifies  Himself  with 


EXODUS. 


31 


His   children  now  more  intimately  than  then,   Jno. 
xiv:23;  Eph.  ii:20-22;   i  Jno.  iv:i6,  etc.      Once   He 
dwelt  among  His  people,  now  He  dwells  in  them. 
By    and    by  there   will  be   a    more    glorious    and 
ineffable  tabernacling  with  the  redeemed,  Rev.  xxi: 
3,  4.     (3)     It  was  a  figure  of  God's  plan  of  bringing 
sinners  to   Himself,    Heb.  ix:23.     By  means  of  the 
blood  of  beasts  the  people  were  made  ceremonially 
clean,  and  relationship  with   God  was  maintained. 
By  the  blood  of  Christ  we  are   brought  into  eternal 
fellowship  with  Him.   The  altar  of  sacrifice  set  forth 
the   truth    about    pardon,    justification:    the    laver, 
cleansing,  or  sanctification.     In  short,  the  rites   of 
the   Tabernacle   were  a  type   of   God's  method  of 
salvation.     (4)     It  was  a  symbol  of  the  incarnation 
of  the  Son  of   God,  Jno.  i:i4;  "and  the   word  was 
made  flesh,    and    dwelt   (tabernacled)   among   us." 
The  Lord  dwelt  with  His   people  according  to   His 
promise.  Lev.   xxvi:ii,   12,  in   the  Sanctuary.     But 
now  He  has  come  to  take  up  His  permanent  abode 
with  them  by  "wedding   Himself  forever  to  their 
flesh."    We  note  a  sort  of  progress  in  the  manifesta- 
tion   of   God   to    men— first.    His   presence    in   the 
Tabernacle.     Second,  the   Incarnation.     Third,  the 
indwelling  of  the  Holy  Spirit.     Fourth,  the  descent 
of  the   New  Jerusalem,    the   Heavenly  Tabernacle, 
into  the  glorified  earth. 

6.  For  the  service  of  the  Tabernacle  Aaron  and 
his  sons  were  set  apart  as  priests,  together  with  the 
Tribe  of  Levi  who  were  to  execute  the  duties 
assigned  them  under  the  direction  of  the  priests,  Ex- 

xxviii;  Num.  iv. 

7.  The  pillar  of  cloud  and  of  fire,  Ex.  xiii:2i.  22. 
Its  first  appearance  was  at  Etham,  "in  the  edge  of 


82 


OUTLINE    STUDIES. 


the  wilderness."  This  fact  is  very  suggestive.  Just 
when  all  roads  and  canals,  cities  and  villages  are  left 
behind,  and  an  untried  and  trackless  wilderness  lies 
before  the  people,  then  God  provides  for  them  the 
m}  sterious  cloud  which  never  leaves  them  till  the 
long  journey  is  over,  and  guidance  is  no  longer 
required. 

(i)  The  cloud  symbolized  God's  presence  with 
His  people,  Ex.  xiv.ig,  24,  25;  xxxiiiig,  10. 

(2)  The  cloud  served  as  a  guide  for  the  people, 
Ex.  xiii:2i;  Num.  ix:i7,  18;  Ps.  Ixxviii:i4;  Neh.  ix: 
19,  etc.  They  were  incompetent  to  be  their  own 
guides.  He  alone  who  had  brought  them  into  "the 
great  and  terrible  wilderness"  was  able  to  conduct 
them  through  it.  Hobab's  *'eyes"  would  not  do, 
Num.  x:3i;  only  Jehovah  was  sufficient. 

(3)  It  adapted  itself  to  their  necessity,  Neh.  ix: 
19.     It  was  a  leader  by  day,  a  pillar  of  fire  by  night. 

(4)  It  was  a  shelter  for  the  people,  Num.  x:34; 
Ps.  cv:39. 

(5)  It  was  a  defense,  Ex.  xiv:i9;  Deut.  1:30.  In 
all  the  various  offices  and  movements  of  the  cloud, 
that  which  most  impresses  the  reader  is  this,  the 
minuteness  of  God's  care  for  His  people.  His 
personal  interest  in  them.  Nothing  's  too  small  for 
Him  to  do  for  them,  nothing  too  great.  He  studies 
their  comfort,  attends  to  every  detail  of  their  lives 
and  their  happiness.  He  is  just  as  mindful  of  His 
child'^en  now.  "  But  the  very  hairs  of  your  head  are 
numbered,"  Matt.  x:30;  "casting  all  your  care  upon 
Him  for  He  careth  for  you,"  i  Pet.  v:y.  Over  us 
also  He  throws  the  great  aegis  of  His  protecting 
care,  and  beneath  His  wings  how  safe  we  are! 

8.     Israel's   sojourn   in  Egypt.     Is  it   possible   to 


EXODUS,  33 

ascertain  its  duration?  Can  we  reconcile  the  appar- 
ently discrepant  statements  of  Scripture  with  respect 
to  it? 

In  Gen.  xv:i3  God  announced  to  Abraham  that 
his  seed  would  be  a  stranger  in  a  land  not  theirs, 
and  be  afflicted  400  years.  Stephen  in  his  defence 
before  the  Sanhedrin  quoted  this  prediction,  and 
identified  it  with  the  oppression  of  Egypt,  Acts 
vii:6-i9.  One  land  is  denoted,  not  two  countries. 
This  is  clear  from  the  promise  contained  in  the 
prediction,  "  But  in  the  fourth  generation  they 
shall  come  hither  again,"  Gen.  xv:i6.  The  afflic- 
tion, obviously,  was  to  be  outside  of  Canaan,  for 
at  its  termination  Abraham's  seed  was  to  be  re- 
stored to  their  own  land.  It  is  generally  held 
that  the  term  "generation"  is  equivalent  to  a  period 
of  one  hundred  years.  In  Ex.  xii:40,  41,  it  is 
expressly  stated  that  the  duration  of  the  sojourn  in 
Egypt  was  430  years.  The  Septuagint  Version  has 
a  various  reading — "Now  the  sojourning  of  the 
children  of  Israel  which  they  sojourned  in  Egypt 
a?id  i?i  Canaa?L  wdi?,  four  hundred  and  thirty  years." 
But  those  ancient  translators  certainly  knew  the 
meaning  of  the  expression,  ^'  children  of  Israel,"  i.  e. 
sons  of  Jacob.  They  would  hardly  be  guilty  of 
writing  such  nonsense  as  that  Abraham,  Isaac  and 
Jacob  were  the  children  of  themselves. 

The  genealogy  recorded  in  Ex.  vi.  Num.  iii,  etc., 
of  the  family  of  Moses  and  Aaron  (Levi)  appears 
to  reduce  the  length  of  the  sojourn  to  215  years. 
But  if  no  omission  of  links  in  this  table  be  allowed, 
a  very  serious  difficulty  confronts  us.  The  line  runs 
thus:  Jacob,  Levi,  Kohath,  Amram,  Moses.  Ko- 
hath,  Moses'  grandfather,  according  to  Ex.  vi,  had 


34  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

four  sons,  Amram,  Izhar,  Hebron,  and  Uzziel.     The 
male   descendants  of  these  four  men  numbered  at 
the  time  of  the  Exodus,  8,600,  Num.  iii:28.     If  we 
assign  one-fourth  of  this  number  to  Amram^  Moses 
father,  we  have  over  2,000  males  belonging  to  his 
family;  and  the  number  must  be  doubled  to  include 
the  females — 4,000  and  more  in  that  one  household 
I  Chron.  vii:23-27  contains  another  genealogy  cover 
ing  the  same  period  as  that  of  Ex.  vi.     According  tc- 
this  table  there  are  at  least  ten  generations  betwee*" 
Jacob  and   Joshua  the  son  of   Nun,  whereas   in  E::. 
vi   there  are   but   five  between   Jacob  and    Moses. 
Moreover,   Joshua  seems  to  have  been  grown  at  the 
time  of  the  Exodus.     How  are  we  to  reconcile  this 
apparent   discrepancy   between  the  genealogies  of 
Exodus  and  I  Chron.?      Thus:   the  list   of   names 
given  in  Ex.  vi  is  not  complete;  some  of  the  gen- 
erations lying  between  Jacob  and  Moses  are  dropped 
out.     It  is  not  uncommon  to  find  such  omissions  in 
genealogical  tables  of  Scripture.     In  the  most  im- 
portant of  all,  that  of  Christ  in  Matt,  i,  three  suc- 
cessive generations  are  thrown  out,  viz:  the  imme- 
diate descendants   of   Athaliah.       If  we  allow  for 
such  omissions  in  Ex.  vi,  the  difficulties  are  cleared 
away. 

If  now  we  conclude  that  the  sojourn  was  of  430 
years'  duration  what  are  we  to  do  with  Paul's  state- 
ment in  Gal.  iii:i7,  to-wit:  "And  this  I  say,  that 
the  covenant  that  was  confirmed  before  of  God  (in 
Christ),  the  law  which  was  four  hundred  and  thirty 
years  after,  cannot  disannul,  that  it  should  make 
the  covenant  of  none  effect"?  If  we  understand 
the  apostle  as  dating  from  the  original  enactment 
of  the  covenant  with  Abraham   (Gen.  xv),  then  he 


EXODUS.  35 

is  in  conflict  with  Moses  and  Stephen  whose 
chronology  makes  the  period  between  that  trans- 
action and  the  Exodus  to  be  about  645  years.  If 
they  are  right,  or  rather,  if  our  interpretation  of 
them  be  right,  then  is  Paul's  date  wrong  to  the 
extent  of  two  hundred  years  and  more.  Is  it 
credible  that  the  man  who  wrote  2  Tim.  iii:i6,  "All 
Scripture  is  given  by  inspiration  of  God,"  and  who 
claimed  for  his  own  teaching  an  authority  identical 
with  that  of  Jesus  Christ  Himself  (i  Cor.  vii), 
should  have  blundered  two  hundred  years  and  more 
in  a  date  with  which  he  was  perfectly  familiar? 

We  believe  the  key  to  the  difficulty,  and  the  solu- 
tion of  the  entire  question,  lies  in  the  apostle's  use 
of  the  word  "confirm  before,"  or  confirmed  forth, 
as  the  original  may  mean.  This  word  {prokiiroo) 
is  never  employed  in  the  New  Testament,  nor  so  far 
as  we  have  discovered,  in  the  Greek  version  of  the 
Old,  to  designate  the  institution  of  a  thing,  a  first 
transaction;  it  signifies  to  ratify,  or  confirm  a  thing 
already  in  existence. 

A  single  instance  of  its  use  may  be  given.  In 
Gen.  xxiii  we  read  that  Abraham  bought  a  field  of 
Ephron,  paying  the  stipulated  price  for  it  in  the 
presence  of  witnesses,  and  it  "  was  made  sure  unto 
Abraham,"  verse  17  (Sept.  "Establish").  After- 
ward, Abraham  buried  Sarah  in  Machpelah,  and  so 
the  field  with  the  cave  in  it  "was  made  sure  unto 
Abraham,"  verse  20.  In  this  case  the  word  in  the 
Sept.  is  Paul's  "confirm."  Nothing  can  be  plamer 
than  this.  The  burial  of  Sarah  ratified  the  transac- 
tion which  had  been  previously  concluded  between 

the  two  men. 
The  original   institution   of  the   covenant  is   re- 


36  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

corded  in  Gen.  xv,  and  was  accompanied  by  a  sol- 
emn sacrifice,  the  voice  of  God,  and  a  supernatural 
darkness.  But  this  covenant  was  afterward  con- 
firmed, as  in  Gen.  xvii,  when  its  sign  and  seal,  cir- 
cumcision, was  added  to  it.  It  was  again  confirmed 
when  Abraham  offered  Isaac,  Gen.  xxii.  Norwas  this 
all.  It  was  confirmed  to  Isaac,  Gen.  xxvi:  and  to  Ja- 
cob at  Bethel  and  Beersheba,  Gen.  xxviii,  xxxv,  xlvi. 
The  last  confirmation  was  to  Jacob  when  he  was  on  ' 
the  way  to  Egypt  in  the  wagons  which  Joseph  had 
sent  to  convey  him  thither.  No  otherwise  can  we 
understand  the  repeated  declarations  of  Scripture 
that  Isaac  and  Jacob  were  associated  with  Abraham 
as  the  divinely  chosen  heads  of  the  covenant,  cf.  Ex. 
ii:24;  vi:4-8;  xxxii:i3;  Lev.  xxvi:42;  i  Chron.  xvi: 
i6,  17,  etc.  These  three  men,  these  and  no  others, 
are  the  covenant  men.  But  how  could  Isaac  and 
Jacob  be  united  with  Abraham  in  it?  Certainly  not 
in  the  institution  of  the  covenant,  for  in  that 
Abraham  stood  alone.  They  could  only  be  in  the 
subsequent  acts  in  which  God  renewed  and  ampli- 
fied its  terms,  and  in  which  He  made  these  two 
men  parties  to  it  with  Abraham.  And  these  subse- 
quent acts  are  precisely  the  confirmations  and  rati- 
fications to  which  Paul  alludes  in  Gal.  iii:i7. 

The  last  confirmation,  in  conjunction  with  the 
visible  manifestation  of  God,  transpired  at  Beer- 
sheba when  Jacob  was  on  the  way  to  Egypt,  Gen. 
xlvi:2'4.  It  is  believed  that  Paul  dates  his  430 
years  from  this  point,  and  this  was  precisely  430 
years  before  the  exodus,  Ex.  xii:40,  41.  Therefore, 
Paul  perfectly  harmonizes  in  chronology  with  Moses 
and  Stephen, 


LEVITICUS. 

The  chief  design  of  this  third  book  of  Moses  is 
indicated  by  its  title.  It  is  the  hand-book  of  the 
priests — their  guide-book.  Naturally  it  follows 
Exodus.  The  tabernacle  having  been  set  up,  and 
its  services  arranged,  the  duties  of  its  ministers 
would  next  be  defined.  Like  Exodus,  Leviticus 
has  three  main  topics:  Sacrifice,  priesthood,  feast. 
Holiness  is  the  key-word;  xvii:ii;  xx:/,  are  the 
key-verses. 

Leviticus  falls  into  two  general  parts: 

I.  Access  to  God,  chapters  i-xvi 

II.  Sanctification  of  the  people,  xvii-xxvii. 
There  are  five  sections  in  the  book:  i.  Offerings, 

i-vii.  2.  Consecration  and  investiture  of  the  Priests, 
viii-x.  3.  Holiness  both  of  person  and  life,  xi-xv. 
4.  Atonement  and  righteousness,  xvi-xxii.  5.  Feasts, 
xxiii-xxvii. 

That  which  strikes  the  reader  of  this  book  is  the 
predominance  of  sin.  The  Levitical  legislation  is 
mainly  occupied  with  it.  Sin,  man's  sin,  sin  before 
and  after  justification,  is  the  secret  of  Judaism  and 
the  secret  of  the  gospel:  Face  to.  face  with  the 
Mosaic  ritual  we  are  face  to  face  with  sin.  God's 
holiness  is  another  prominent  feature  of  this  book. 
He  must  punish  sin;  for  His  righteousness  demands 
reparation  for  human  guilt.     In  the  sacrificing  priest 


38 


OUTLINE    STUDIES. 


and  in  the  blood  that  streams  from  the  victim, 
in  the  fire  that  consumes  it,  in  the  ashes,  in  the 
water,  in  the  incense  and  the  prayer,  in  the  distance 
between  Himself  and  the  people,  in  the  darkness 
and  loneliness  of  the  Most  Holy  Place,  His 
dwelling,  we  see  the  solemn  portraiture  of  God's 
holiness,  and  His  purpose  to  deal  with  sin  according 
to  its  deserts.  The  multiplicity  of  the  rites  with 
which  this  book  is  filled  is  proof  of  the  insufficiency 
of  such  a  system  to  take  away  sin.  The  continued 
round  of  sacrifices,  the  altar  always  wet  with  blood, 
brought  sin  to  remembrance  rather  than  judged  and 
removed  it,  Heb.  x:3.  But  we  shall  not  forget  that 
this  book  is  largely  prophetic.  Its  wondrous, 
complex  typology  announces  the  coming  of  One  by 
whom  all  here  prefigured  shall  have  its  complete 
fulfillment.  Christ  is  the  supreme  center  about 
which  these  ordinances  turn;  and  they  are  luminous 
to  us  now  because  of  the  light  He  sheds  upon  them. 

I.  The  Sacrifices  of  Leviticus,  chapters  i-vii.  They 
are  pictures  of  the  one  offering  of  Christ.  He  is 
the  sum  of  them.  As  no  one  of  them  was  a  perfect 
representation  of  Him  and  His  work,  five  were 
instituted  in  order  to  s.et  forth  something  of  the 
perfection  of  His  sacrifice.  There  are  three  parties 
to  a  sacrifice:  the  offerer,  the  priest  and  the  offering. 
The  priest  acts  as  mediator.  The  priest  and  priestly 
action  imply  God  and  the  sinner  who  are  to  be 
brought  together  in  peace.  The  offering  points 
unmistakably  to  sin  done,  and  to  the  absolute  need 
of  expiation.  The  offerer  is  the  offender  who  is 
regarded  as  identified  with  His  sacrifice. 

The  main  features  of  the  sacrifices  are  substitution, 
imputation,  death.     By  substitution  is  meant  that  the 


LEVITICUS.  39 

life  of  the  victim  is  given  for  that  of  the  offender. 
In  imputation  the  punishment  due  the  guilty  party 
is  charged  or  imputed  to  his  sacrifice.  This 
transference  was  symbolized  by  laying  of  the  hands 
of  the  offerer  on  the  head  of  the  victim.  And  death 
was  the  execution  of  the  penalty  incurred  by  the 
offender. 

In  the  application  of  sacrificial  types  we  see  all 
the  elements  just  mentioned  combined  in  the  person 
and  work  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  He  is  at  once  the 
Priest,  the  Offerer,  and  the  Victim.  In  His  death 
there  is  priestly  action,  Heb.  ix:i4;  Jno.  xii;,  i8. 
His  offering  is  Himself,  Heb.  x:io.  He  and  those 
for  whom  He  acts,  are  identified,  Jno.  x:ii;  Gal. 
ii:20 

The  offerings  of  Leviticus  are  divided  into  two 
classes,  viz:  "Sweet  savour,"  which  are  three — 
burnt,  meat,  and  peace  offerings.  The  other  classes 
were  for  expiation,  viz:  Sin  and  trespass  offerings. 

The  burn^  offering  (Lev.  i)  heads  the  list  because 
it  had  some  of  the  distinctive  features  of  all  the 
others,  and  was  the  morning  and  evening  sacrifice 
to  Jehovah,  Ex.  xxix:42.  It  was  for  acceptance  and 
atonement,  vss.  3,  4.  It  was  wholly  given  to  Him, 
and  in  it  He  had  His  satisfaction.  It  sets  forth  the 
devotedness  of  Jesus,  His  complete  self-surrender 
to  God,  Eph.  v:2.  Its  application  to  believers  is 
in  Rom.  xii:i,  2.  The  meat-offering,  which  was 
vegetable,  was  the  complement  of  the  burnt  offering 
(Lev.  2),  and  seems  never  to  have  been  presented 
alone  save  in  the  case  of  Cain.  It  followed^a  bloody 
sacrifice;  it  could  not  be  accepted  of  itself.  Cain 
came  to  the  Lord  with  the  fruits  of  the  ground. 
He  stood  in  nature.     He  refused  to  acknowledge 


40  OUTLINE   STUDIES, 

himself  a  sinner  needing  atonement.  Abel  came  as 
one  under  condemnation,  but  as  one  who  knew  of 
the  provisions  made  for  pardon.  Abel  came  with 
blood.  "Without  shedding  of  blood  there  is  no 
remission,"  Heb.  ix:22.  Christ  is  the  fulfilment  of 
the  meat-offering — the  holy,  spotless  One.  But  it 
is  only  as  He  is  apprehended  as  the  sacrifice  for 
sins  that  He  becomes  the  food  of  the  soul.  Without 
passing  through  death  He  could  not  have  been  the 
meat-offering,  Jno.  xii:24.  The  peace-offering,  (Lev. 
3)  was  a  communion  feast;  the  Lord,  the  priest,  and 
the  offerer  had  each  his  portion.  The  sin  and 
trespass  offerings  (Lev.  5)  contemplated  expiation. 
The  bodies  of  the  victims  were  burned  without  the 
camp,  as  if  charged  with  sin  and  so  judged  and 
consumed,  Heb.  xiiiiii,  12.  It  was  the  blood  of  the 
sin  offering  alone  which  was  brought  into  the  Most 
Holy  Place,  and  sprinkled  on  the  mercy  seat,  Lev. 
xvi:i4.  Having  made  a  perfect  offering  for  sin 
Christ  appears  in  the  presence  of  God  for  us,  Heb. 
ix:ii,  12,  24. 

The  sweet  savour  and  the  sin  offerings  are  alike 
in  this,  that  blood  is  the  foundation  of  all  right 
relationship  with  God.  In  both  kinds  the  offerer 
and  the  victim  are  identified.  They  differ  in  this; 
the  sweet  savour  were  for  acceptance  and  worship. 
In  them  what  was  presented  unto  God  was  grateful 
to  Him,  and  on  the  ground  of  it  He  and  the 
worhiper  communed  together.  In  them  sin  is  not 
the  predominant  idea.  It  is  in  the  sin-sacrifice. 
The  essential  feature  in  this  last  is  propitiation. 
He  who  came  with  it  came  not  so  much  a  wor- 
shiper as  a  sinner — not  for  communion,  but  for 
pardon.     He  came  to  receive  in  the  person  of  his 


LEVITIcaS.  41 

substitute,  the  victim,  the  punishment  due  to  his  sin. 
In  the  sin-offering  the  penalty  is  prominent:  in 
the  trespass  offering  ransom.  In  the  first,  expi- 
ation is  prominent;  in  the  second,  satisfaction. 
Both  are  fulfilled  in  Christ  who  was  made  sin  for  us, 
^  and  who  gave  His  life  a  ransom  for  many. 

2.  Consecratio7i  of  Aaro?i  a?id  his  sons,  Lev.  viii. 
This  ancient  ceremony  is  full  of  significance.  The 
high  priest  and  his  sons  were  alike  washed  with 
water,  vs.  6.  Aaron  was  then  anointed  with  the 
holy  oil,  the  sons  were  not,  vs.  I2.  (Oil  is  the 
emblem  of  the  Spirit,  i  Jno.  ii:27;  2  Cor.  i:2i,  22.) 
The  sin-offering  was  then  slain  and  the  blood 
sprinkled,  vs.  15.  Then  the  blood  and  the  oil 
mingled  were  put  on  Aaron  and  the  sons.  Eminent 
type!  Jesus  was  anointed  with  the  Spirit  before 
His  sacrifice,  the  disciples  not.  After  His  death 
and  resurrection,  the  Spirit  was  shed  forth  upon 
them.  Acts  ii;  Jno.  vii:39;  xvi:/. 

3.  Laws  respecthig  food,  etc.,  chapter  xi.  Why 
should  the  great  God  occupy  Himself  with  such 
matters?  (i)  He  is  concerned  in  the  physical  well- 
being  of  His  people.  He  has  redeemed  their 
bodies,  and  these  are  objects  of  His  regard  as  well 
as  the  soul.  Here  is  the  best  system  of  dietetics 
ever  appointed.  (2)  In  their  food  and  dress  the 
Jews  were  to  be  a  separate  and  "peculiar"  people. 
(3)  They  were  to  be  holy.  All  the  animals  they 
were  permitted  to  eat  are  of  cleanly  habits.  Israel 
was  taught  holiness  to  the  Lord  in  all  things. 

4.  U?tclea7inesSy  leprosy,  etc.,  chapters  xii-xv.  These 
laws  touch  some  delicate  matters;  but  studied  in  a 
devout  and  reverent  spirit  they  yield  immense  profit 
to  the  soul.     Ruskin  tells  that  his  mother  compelled 


42  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

him  when  a  youth  to  read  right  through  the  Bible, 
even  the  difficult  chapters  of  Leviticus;  these  espec- 
ially held  him  in  greatest  restraint,  and  most  influ- 
enced his  life.  The  underlying  truth  in  all  is  sin, 
its  transmission,  defilement,  incurableness  by  man, 
and  God's  provision  for  its  removal. 

5.  Feasts,  chapters  xxiii-xxviig.  There  are  eight 
of  them  (if  we  include  the  Day  of  Atonement),  and 
they  were  designed  to  remind  the  people  that  they 
were  God's  tenants-at-will;  that  the  land  was  not 
their's,  but  His;  that  their  time  was  not  their^s,  but 
His;  that  their  persons  were  not  their  own,  but  His. 
Moreover,  in  the  great  jubilee,  which  was  the  fiftieth 
year,  the  sublime  doctrine  of  earth's  final  redemp- 
tion, and  its  restoration  to  God,  and  its  deliverance 
from  the  curse  of  sin,  was  constantly  taught.  What 
a  blessed  day  that  will  be  when  all  the  people  of 
God  even  as  to  their  bodies  shall  be  delivered,  when 
the  lost  inheritance  shall  be  restored,  and  nature 
shall  sing  her  glad  song  of  redemption! 

6.  Doctrine  of  the  Redeemer,  chapter  xxv:24-55. 
This  is  a  precious  section  of  our  book,  for  it  is 
strikingly  illustrative  of  the  work  of  Christ  as  the 
Redeemer,  (i)  The  redeemer  in  Israel  was  to  be 
one  near  of  kin  with  him  who  was  to  be  redeemed, 
vss.  25,  48.  So  Jesus,  Heb.  ii-i4-i8.  (2)  He  was  to 
redeem  the  person,  47-50;  Ruth  iv:4,5.  So  Jesus 
has  bought  His  people,  i  Cor.  vi:i9,  20.  (3)  He 
was  to  redeem  the  property  that  had  been  disponed 
away,  vss.  25,  29.  So,  too,  Christ  hath  redeemed 
for  us  our  lost  inheritance,  I  Pet.  1:3-5.  (4)  -^^  ^^''^'^  to 
avenge  the  brother  on  his  enemies,  Num.  xxxv:i2. 
The  **  avenger  of  blood  "  seems  to  have  been  a  near 
kinsman  of  the  one  injured.     And  Christ  will  in  due 


LEYITICTJS.  43 

time  take  vengeance  on  the  enemies  of  His  people, 
Deut.  xxxii:43;  2  Thess.  i:6-8. 

7.  Obedience,  and  disobedience,  and  their  consequences, 
chapters  xxvi,  xxvii.  The  blessedness  of  obedience 
is  first  mentioned  and  commended,  xxvi:i-i3.  Dis- 
obedience and  its  sure  punishment  is  next  painted 
in  the  darkest  hues,  xxvi:i4-39;  but  on  repentance 
God  will  have  pity  and  restore,  xxvi:40-46.  In  this  last 
section  of  the  chapter  there  is  a  distinct  prophecy 
of  Israel's  final  restoration  and  blessing,— "I  am  the 
Lord."  Leviticus  teaches  the  great  doctrines  of 
purity,  separation,  sanctification,  obedience,  service. 
May  it  be  ours  to  learn  the  priceless  lesson! 

Any  study  of  Leviticus  which  omits  the  sixteenth 
chapter  would  be  defective  and  unsatisfactory. 
Accordingly  some  brief  notes  are  devoted  to  this 
very  suggestive  subject— the  day  of  atonement  in 
Israel.  In  each  of  the  first  four  books  of  the  Bible 
there  is  one  chapter  which  comes  to' us  with  peculiar 
force,  to  which  we  turn  almost  instinctively  for 
typical  instruction.  Genesis  xxii,  which  records 
that  strange  and  impressive  scene,  the  offering  of 
Isaac  by  his  own  father,  is  the  first:  Exodus  xii, 
which  contains  the  supreme  doctrine  of  redemption 
by  blood,  is  the  second:  Leviticus  xvi,  the  atone- 
ment chapter,  is  the  third:  Numbers  xiv,  the 
chapter  which  narrates  Israel's  unbelief  and  failure, 
is  the  fourth. 

I.  Lev.  xvi  stands  alone.  No  mention  is  made 
elsewhere  of  what  took  place  on  that  solemn  day. 
It  seems  to  be  closely  connected  with  the  death  of 
Nadab  and  Abihu,  vs.  i.  These  two  young  men 
had  died  because  of  their  disobedience  and  pre- 
sumption.    The  priesthood  had  failed.     The  insuf- 


44 


OUTLINE    STUDIES. 


ficiency  of  all  that  had  been  hitherto  appointed  was 
thus  made  manifest.  And  so  the  day  of  atonement 
was  established  as  a  still  deeper  display  of  God's 
grace  and  love,  and  of  the  inadequacy  of  Mosaic 
rites  to  take  away  sin. 

2.  It  was  observed  on  the  seventh  day  of  the 
tenth  month,  and  was  to  be  a  day  of  humiliation, 
vss.  29,  31.  Affliction  of  soul  answers  to  a  contri- 
tion of  heart.  The  people  laid  aside  all  secular 
employment.  The  sense  of  sin  was  to  be  deepened 
to  its  utmost  intensity  in  the  national  mind  and  ex- 
hibited in  appropriate  forms  of  penitential  grief. 
It  was  a  day  of  godly  sorrow  working  repentance. 

3.  It  occurred  but  once  a  year.  As  seven  is  the 
perfect  number,  so  a  year  is  a  full  and  complete 
period.  There  is  no  time  that  does  not  fall  within 
the  year.  It  was  the  day  of  the  Mosaic  economy.  It 
pointed  to  the  supreme  fact:— "Christ  was  once 
offered  to  bear  the  sins  of  many,"  Heb.  ix:28  (the 
word  for  "once"  is  strong— ^/z^^  for  all).  There  is 
no  repetition  of  His  sacrificial  work.  In  the  whole 
year  of  time  there  is  but  one  atonement  day,  Rom. 
vi:9,  10;  Heb.  ix:26. 

4.  The  high  priest.  The  day  imposed  upon  him 
the  most  weighty  duties.  We  are  told  that  one 
week  before  the  day  came  he  left  his  own  house 
and  dwelt  in  the  sanctuary.  During  the  night  pre- 
ceding it  he  was  denied  sleep,  and  on  the  day  itself 
he  fasted  until  evening.  His  dress  was  not  that  of 
"beauty  and  glory"  which  on  other  great  festival 
occasions  he  wore,  but  one  of  pure  linen,  vs.  4.  No 
gold  glittered  on  his  brow,  nor  tinkled  in  his  steps, 
nor  mingled  its  brilliancy  with  the  royal  colors  of 
his  robe.     All  was  laid  aside.    One  cannot  but  think 


LEVITICUS.  45 

of  the  inspired  description  of  the  high  priest's  great 
anti-type,  the  Lord  Jesus,  Phil.  ii:6-ii.  He  humbled 
Himself,  put  off  His  robes  of  glory  when  He  came' 
down  into  this  world  to  offer  Himself  a  sacrifice  for 
sin.  It  was  an  earth-like  garment  He  wore  while 
He  was  here,  though  ever  and  anon  He  let  it  swing 
open  for  a  little  that  the  star  of  royalty  over  His 
heart  might  be  seen! 

It  would  seem,  from  vs.  17,  that  in  the  immediate 
acts  of  expiation  Aaron  was  alone.  He  was  neither 
to  be  accompanied  nor  assisted  by  any  one.  Strik- 
ing type  of  Him  who  accomplished  expiation  for 
the  sins  of  believers:  "  Be  not  far  from  me,  for 
trouble  is  near;  for  there  is  none  to  help,"  Ps.  xxii: 
11;  ''Reproach  hath  broken  my  heart,  and  I  am 
full  of  heaviness;  and  I  looked  for  some  to  take 
pity,  but  there  was  none;  and  for  comforters,  but  I 
found  none,"  Ps.  lxix:20.  On  the  day  of  atonement 
in  Israel,  Aaron  was  alone,  unassisted.  On  the  day 
of  Calvary  Jesus  was  alone.  All  alone  He  wrestled 
in  the  garden;  all  alone  He  hung  on  the  cross. 
Lover  and  friend  were  put  far  from  Him:  even  the 
Father  hid  His  face  from  His  suffering  Son.  By 
Himself  He  made  purification  of  sins,  Heb.  i:3. 

5.  The  offerings  of  the  day:  First,  there  was  the 
sacrifice  for  the  sins  of  the  priestly  family,  vss.  6, 
7,  II.  The  high  priest  could  do  nothing  in  the 
work  of  this  great  day  until  propitiation  for  him- 
self and  his  house  had  been  made,  Heb.  v:3;  ix:7. 

Next,  the  sin-offering  for  the  people  which  con- 
sisted of  the  two  goats,  and  constituted  the  main 
features  of  the  day.  They  were  designed  by  lot, 
the  one  "for  Jehovah,"  the  other  "for  Azazel,"  the 
scape-goat.     The  goat  for  Jehovah  was  slain;   the 


46  ouTLrsT  sxrDiES. 

sins  of  the  congregation  were  symboiically  trans- 
ferred from  the  people  to  the  goat  '*  for  Azazel," 
and  solemnly  put  upon  its  head,  after  which  it  was 
led  into  the  wilderness,  and  let  go.  Mindful  of  the 
variety  of  opinion  that  prevails  as  to  the  meaning 
of  the  expression  "for  Azazel,"  the  writer  does  not 
hesitate  to  express  the  belief  that  it  signifies  "for 
removal."  "  for  the  complete  bearing  away." 

The  two  goats  form  but  one  offering.  In  vs.  15 
the  slain  goat  is  described  as  a  ''sin-offering  for  the 
people."  Both  animals  were  charged  with  the  sins 
of  the  congregation:  and  the  reason  for  the  use  of 
two  instead  of  one,,  as  in  the  ordinar}''  sacrifice,  is 
probably  that  given  by  Keil,  viz..  the  physical  im- 
possibility of  combining  all  the  features  that  had  to 
be  set  forth  in  the  sin-offering  in  one  animal.  The 
cognate  truths  of  atonement  and  remission  are 
vividly  taught  in  this  sacrifice.  The  slain  goat  sym- 
bolizes the  doctrine  of  atonement  or  covering  of 
sins;  the  scape-goat  their  removal.  God  has  His 
claims  upon  the  sinner  which  must  be  met — the 
punishment  of  his  guilt.  The  sinner  has  his  needs 
likewise,  viz.,  the  putting  away  of  his  sin,  its  com- 
plete removal;  and  this  is  wrought  for  him  cere- 
monially by  the  dismissal  of  the  goat  into  the  wil- 
derness, bearing  the  load  of  sins  upon  him.  The 
punishment  of  sin.  the  pardon  of  sin — these  are  the 
truths  taught  by  the  two  goats.  That  it  all  has  its 
fulfillment  in  Christ  needs  hardly  to  be  said.  The 
language  of  this  chapter  is  carried  over  into  later 
Scripture  and  applied  to  Him.  Isa.  liii:6,  12;  Jno.  i: 
29;  2  Cor.  v:2i;   i  Pet.  ii:24,  etc. 

6.  Entrance  of  the  high  priest  into  the  most  holy 
place.     Three  times  on  this  eventful  day  he  passed 


LEVITICUS.  47 

through  the  veil  into  the  Divine  Presence,  the  She- 
kinah.  The  first  was  with  the  holy  incense  and 
the  censer.  The  sacred  room  was  clouded  with  the 
smoke  from  the  burning  incense.  The  smoke 
served  as  a  thin  veil  between  himself  and  the  pres- 
ence, "that  he  die  not,"  vss.  12,  13. 

The  second  entrance  was  with  the  blood  of  his 
own  sacrifice  which  he  sprinkled  seven  times  on 
and  before  the  mercy-seat.  Atonement  was  thus 
made  for  his  own  sins  and  those  of  his  house — their 
trespasses  were  ''covered  "  from  the  presence  of  the 
Lord.  For  the  holy  priesthood  was  involved  in  sin. 
was  polluted  and  defiled,  and  nothing  but  the  blood 
could  cover  the  guilt. 

The  third  entrance  was  with  the  blood  of  the 
slain  goat,  which  was  also  sprinkled  at  the  mercy- 
seat;  and  when  this  third  entrance  had  been  made, 
the  priest  returned  to  the  holy  place  and  sprinkled 
the  united  blood  of  the  two  sacrifices  at  the  veil,  and 
put  of  it  on  the  horns  of  the  golden  altar,  Ex. 
XXX :  10. 

It  was  for  the  rebellions  against  the  government 
of  God,  for  resistance  to  His  grace,  the  transgres- 
sions, the  iniquities,  and  the  unknown  sins  that 
had  brought  the  holy  house  into  such  a  state  of 
moral  pollution,  which  made  expiation  a  necessity. 
Atonement  was  made  for  the  holy  of  holies,  for  the 
holy  place,  for  the  veil,  for  the  golden  altar,  and  for 
the  brazen  altar  m  the  court.  There  was  a  call  for 
blood  everywhere  in  the  sanctuary,  and  for  ail  its 
parts,  else  the  throne  of  God  could  not  abide  in 
Israel.  What  a  picture  all  this  is  of  God's  estimate 
of  sin,  and  of  atonement  for  it!  "  Without  shed- 
ding of  blood  there  is  no  remission."    If  God  taught 


48 


OUTLINE    STUDIES. 


His  people  of  the  olden  time  the  great  doctrine  of 
atonement  by  such  a  vivid  object-lesson  as  this,  how 
is  it  possible,  now  that  the  true  sacrifice  has  been 
offered  for  sin,  how  is  it  possible  for  a  man,  for  any 
man,  ever  to  be  saved  but  by  the  blood? 

7.  No  blood  went  into  the  presence  of  God  into 
the  most  holy  place  but  that  of  the  sin-sacrifice; 
none  other  touched  the  mercy-seat  save  this.  Listen 
to  that  awful,  tremendous  word  written  by  the  in- 
spired Paul:  "He  hath  made  him  to  be  sin  for  us 
who  knew  no  sin,  that  we  might  be  made  the  right- 
eousness of  God  in  him" — made  sin!  Not  only  a 
sin-offering,  as  some  would  have  it;  but  sin!  Mon- 
tanus  in  his  Latin  translation  renders  vs.  9  thus: 
"And  Aaron  shall  bring  the  goat  upon  which  the 
Lord's  lot  fell,  and  shall  make  it  siny  If  this  be  the 
real  meaning  of  the  verse,  then  we  know  something 
more  of  what  Paul  meant  in  2  Cor.  v:2i.  With  His 
own  blood  Jesus  has  passed  into  heaven  itself,  now 
to  appear  in  the  presence  of  God  for  us,  Heb.  ix:i2, 
24,  etc.  "As  far  as  east  is  from  the  west,  so  far 
hath  He  removed  our  transgressions  from  us,"  Ps, 
ciii:i2.  The  one  perfect  offering  has  been  made. 
The  account  of  sin  is  canceled.  The  cry  of  wrath 
is  hushed.     Believe! 


NUMBERS. 

i'he  title  of  this  fourth  book  of  the  Bible  is  prob- 
ably derived  from  the  numbering  of  Israel  of  which 
we  have  the  record  in  the  opening  chapters.  But  it 
hardly  indicates  the  object  of  the  book,  for  the  cen- 
sus forms  but  a  small  portion  of  it.  The  book  con- 
tains much  important  matter  both  of  a  historical 
and  legislative  character.  The  key-word  is  pilgrim- 
age; the  key-verse,  Num.  x:29:  "We  are  journeying 
unto  the  place  of  which  the  Lord  said,  I  will  give  it 
you;  come  thou  with  us,  and  we  will  do  thee  good; 
for  the  Lord  hath  spoken  good  concerning  Israel." 

Numbers  falls  into  three  clearly  marked  parts: 
First,  the  departure  from  Sinai,  the  account  of  the 
organization  of  the  tribes,  incidents  by  the  way,  and 
arrival  at  Kadesh-barnea,  chapters  i-xii.  Second, 
unbelief  and  rebellion  upon  the  report  of  the  spies, 
chapters  xiii-xix.  For  thirty-eight  years  thereafter 
the  people  marched  and  counter  marched  in  the 
wilderness  until  the  generation^which  came  out  of 
Egypt  was  dead,  except  Caleb  and  Joshua.  The 
period  is  passed  over  in  almost  total  silence.  The 
nation  was  under  the  divine  rebuke,  and  is  treated 
as  if  its  relations  with  God  were  suspended.  Third, 
the  second  arrival  at  Kadesh,  chapters  xx-xxxvi. 
This  portion  of  the  book  is  crowded  with  great 
events,  the  death  of  Miriam,  and  Aaron,  Balak  and 


50  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

Balaam;  the  refusal  of  Edom  to  allow  a  passage 
through  his  territory,  and  the  wearisome  journey 
around  Edom,  and  the  final  appearing  of  Israel  in 
the  plains  of  Moab  opposite  Jericho.  Among  the 
principal  topics  the  following  may  be  mentioned: 

1 .  Cens2is  of  the  army,  a?id  tJie  probable  number  of 
Israel.  The  quota  raised  from  each  of  the  tribes  in- 
cluded all  the  able-bodied  males  from  twenty  years 
old  and  upward.  It  was  an  army  which,  in  the 
condition  specified,  was  a  universal  conscription. 
Altogether  it  amounted  to  603,550  men.  The  same 
number  is  given  in  Ex.  xxxviii:26.  Some  are  dis- 
posed to  estimate  three  non-combatants  for  each 
soldier,  others  four;  in  which  cases  the  whole  host 
of  Israel  would  consist  of  about  1,810,000,  or  about 
2,414,000.  Others  still  reduce  the  number  to  one 
million  and  a  half.  But  at  any  rate,  a  vast  host  was 
that  which  wandered  here  and  there  in  the  penin- 
sula of  Sinai  for  forty  years.  Skepticism  interposes 
a  grave  objection  to  the  inspiration  of  this  record. 
After  swelling  the  numbers  of  Israel  to  the  utter- 
most, and  after  exaggerating  the  sterility  of  the 
wilderness,  and  the  scanty  supplies  to  be  had  from 
any  quarter  in  the  whole  region  of  territory,  it  asks: 
How  could  such  a  multitude  in  such  a  place  for  so 
long  a  time  be  maintained  in  life?  Leave  God  out 
of  the  account,  and  the  difficulty  is  insoluble.  Arith- 
metic triumphs.  Bring  Him  into  it  and  all  is  plain. 
Reflect  whether  that  Infinite  Being  who  swings  the 
world  upon  His  arm  and  feeds  the  creatures  thereof 
with  His  hand  could  not  support  twice  the  number 
for  twice  the  time.  The  question  resolves  itself 
into  this:     Was  God  with  His  people  or  not? 

2.  Orga7iizatio7i  of  Israel,  chapters  ii-iv.     The  no- 


NUMBERS.  51 

tion  might  be  entertained  from  a  hasty  reading  of 
this  history,    that    the   journeys  of   the   wilderness 
were  marked  by  confusion  and  disorder.     No   mis- 
take could  be  greater.     God  was  their  Leader,  and 
He  is  the  Author  of  order,  not  of  confusion.     There 
was  an  appointed    place  of  worship;  an  appointed 
ministry  of  worship;  appointed  seasons  of  worship. 
The  civil  and   military  arrangements  in  Israel  were 
as  complete  as  the  religious.      Scarcely  had  the  re- 
deemed people  put  the  Red  sea  between  them  and 
the  land  of  their  bondage  when  they  were  thoroughly 
organized.     The  army  was  divided  into  four  grand 
sections  or  corps,  with  three  tribes  to  each  division, 
and  with  a  commander  for  each.     Each  grand  divis- 
ion had  its  standard,  each  tribe  its  ensign.     It  is  not 
possible  to  determine  what  these   standards  were. 
Tradition  has   it  that  they  represented   the  cheru- 
bim— the   lion,  the  ox,  the  man,  the  eagle.      In  the 
encampment  they  formed  a  sort  of  hollow  square, 
with  three  tribes  lying  on   each  side  of  the  square. 
The    tabernacle   was    in   the   center  of   the  square. 
On  the  march,  six  tribes  were  in  the  van,  and  six  in 
the  rear,  with  the  tabernacle  in  the  center  between 
these   two   great   divisions.      The   position    of   the 
sanctuary  was  thus  a  central   one,    always  central. 
God  was  in  the  midst  of  His  people,  their  Protector 
and  Helper,  Ps.  xlvi:5.     The  Levites  were  organized 
into   three   divisions  corresponding  with   the  three 
sons   of  Levi,   Gershom,  Kohath,    and  Merari,  and 
their   special    duties   assigned   them.      Thus   order 
reigned  throughout  the  entire  multitude. 

3.  Laws  of  Numbers..  A  few  as  specimens  are 
here  given,  (i)  Laws  touching  personal  habits,  and 
conduct  or  deportment  tov/ard  one  another,  chapter 


52  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

V.  Here  are  very  wise  sanitary  regulations  which 
municipal  governments  would  do  well  to  imitate. 
England  for  many  years  struggled  to  destroy  lep- 
rosy among  its  people,  and  succeeded  only  when  it 
completely  isolated  all  lepers.  Moses  enacted  such 
a  law  three  thousand  years  before  England.  No 
wonder  Israelites  who  observe  Moses'  law  as  to  per- 
sonal habits  are  the  healthiest  of  people.  (2)  Law 
of  the  Nazarite,  chapter  vi.  The  Nazarite  was  not  / 
an  order,  monastic  or  otherwise;  but  he  was  one  who 
took  a  vow  in  order  to  a  more  complete  consecra- 
rion  to  God.  The  vow  was  voluntary,  and  limited 
as  to  time.  Three  things  the  Nazarite  practiced: 
abstinence  from  wine,  i.  e.,  renunciation  of  the  en- 
joyments of  life;  unshorn  hair,  i.  e.,  subjection  (i 
Cor.  xi:io);  keeping  himself  undefiled  from  contact 
with  a  dead  body,  i.  e.,  renunciation  for  the  time  of 
the  obligations  arising  from  natural  relations.  **The 
Nazarite  was  to  be  a  living  type  and  image  of  holi- 
ness." (3)  The  ordinance  of  the  red  heifer,  chapter 
xix.  Out  of  the  ashes  of  this  sacrifice  the  water  of 
purification  was  prepared.  It  is  alluded  to  in  Heb. 
ix:i3.  Throughout  the  book  there  is  no  mention' of 
the  laver.  The  water  of  purification  appears  to 
have  taken  the  place  of  the  laver  in  some  measure 
during  the  pilgrim  journey  of  Israel. 

4.  Israel's  unbelief  a?id  failure,  chapters  xiii,  xiv. 
In  about  two  years  after  quitting  Egypt  they  were 
at  Kadesh,  on  the  borders  of  the  promised  land. 
The  report  of  a  majority  of  the  scouts  created  con- 
sternation among  the  people.  Giants  held  the 
land;  the  cities  were  walled  and  very  great,  and  the 
inhabitants  strong.  Thus  ran  the  report.  Panic- 
stricken,  their  first  thought  was  to  march   straight 


NUMBEES.  53 

back  to  Egypt;  their  next,  to  stone  Moses  and 
Aaron,  Caleb  and  Joshua,  the  men  ot  faith.  Want 
of  courage,  downright  cowardice,  one  would  say, 
was  the  reason  of  their  conduct.  But  in  Heb.  iiiiig 
it  is  very  differently  interpreted.  "  So  we  see  that 
they  could  not  enter  in  because  of  unbelief."  And 
this  their  unbelief  struck  at  all  God  had  declared 
Himself  to  be,  and  promised  to  do  for  them,  (i) 
It  was  an  impeachment  of  His  word.  He  had  said 
He  would  bring  them  into  the  land  and  give  it  them 
for  an  inheritance.  He  even  had  taken  an  oath  to 
Abraham  that  He  would  do  so.  And  they  by  un- 
belief said  He  would  not.  God  said  "  yes  ;  "  they 
"no."  God  said,  ''I  will,  I  surely  will;"  they  said, 
"Thou  wilt  not."  (2)  It  was  an  impeachment  of 
His  power.  Were  the  Anakin  stronger  than  the 
army  of  Egypt?  Were  cities  and  walls  mightier 
than  the  Red  sea?  They  had  seen  the  display  of 
His  power.  Could  they  not  rely  on  Him  for  even 
greater  displays  of  it?  (3)  It  was  an  impeachment 
of  His  goodness.  In  manifold  ways  had  He  showed 
His  love  for  them.  He  had  delivered  them  from 
Egypt;  been  their  Guide  through  the  wilderness 
journey,  had  fed  them  by  the  way.  And  now  in 
full  view  of  Canaan,  could  His  mercy  fail?  Unbe- 
lief, "It  ties  up  the  hand  of  God."  Twice  Jesus 
marvelled;  once  2X  faith,  Lu.  viiig;  at  unbelief,  Mark 
vi  :6.     Luther  said,  "  Nothing  damns  but  unbelief." 

5.  The  sinof Moses  aiid  Aaron,  chapter  xx:i-i3.  It 
has  been  said  that  God's  people  fail  in  that  for 
which  they  are  noted.  Job's  patience  gave  way; 
Abraham's  faith  wavered;  Moses'  humility  broke 
down.  At  first  sight  it  might  seem  a  small  matter 
for  which  these  two  eminent  servants  of  God,  Moses 


54  OTJTLINE    STUDIES. 

and  Aaron,  should  be  excluded  from  the  land  of 
promise.  But  if  the  reader  will  ponder  the  narra- 
tive of  their  trespass,  and  the  passages  which  else- 
where refer  to  it,  he  will  find  that  their's  was  a  most 
serious  offence.  Petulance  amounting  to  unjustifia- 
ble anger  was  one  element  in  it,  Ps.  cvi:32,  33.  The 
patience  which  had  distinguished  his  course  for  so 
long  a  period  suddenly  failed,  and  he  "  spake  unad- 
visedly with  his  lips."  Disobedience  was  another  * 
element.  God  had  commanded  him  to  "speak"  to 
the  rock;  whereas  Moses  struck  it  twice  with  the 
rod.  Unbelief  was  also  in  the  sin.  This  appears  in 
his  action  and  his  words.  He  called  the  people 
"rebels,"  and  yet  he  was  himself  at  that  moment  in 
rebellion.  Num.  xxvii:i4;  "For  ye  rebelled  against 
my  commandment."  "  Must  we  fetch  you  water  out 
of  this  rock?"  His  vexation  and  anger  carried  him 
into  such  lengths  of  unbelief  and  sin!  Furthermore, 
the  "rock"  was  a  type  of  Christ,  i  Cor.  x:4.  Once 
already  it  had  been  "smitten"  by  the  divine  com- 
mand, Ex.  xvii;6,  7.  To  smite  it  a  second  time  was 
to  destroy  the  type;  for  Christ  the  antitype  dieth 
but  once;  death  hath  no  more  power  over  Him. 
Taking  all  the  circumstances  into  account,  the  sin 
was  heinous,  for  it  was  rebellion  against  God.  The 
punishment  seems  severe,  but  it  was  not  dispropor- 
tionate to  the  sin. 

6.  The  brazen  serpent,  chapters  xxi:5-9;  Jno.  iii:i4, 
15.  Evil  and  its  remedy.  Many  and  striking  are  the 
analogies  between  the  brazen  serpent  and  the  Sav- 
iour. A  few  may  be  pointed  out.  (i)  Poison  of  the 
reptiles,  sin.  (2)  The  remedy,  serpent  of  brass; 
Christ  made  in  the  likeness  of  sinful  flesh  and  for 
sin.     (3)  The  remedy   lifted  up,    Christ    lifted  up. 


NUMBERS.  55 

(4)    Healed  by  looking,  faith  in  Christ,  saved  by  a 
look. 

7.  Balaam  aiid  Balak,  chapters  xxii-xxiv.  Ba- 
laam's history  is  one  of  the  strangest  of  the  Bible. 
A  most  gifted  man,  he  was  utterly  without  principle, 
was  the  slave  of  the  lowest  and  most  despicable  of 
passions — greed.  Three  inspired  writers  (2  Pet.  ii: 
15,  16;  Jude  11;  Rev.  ii:i4)  stamp  his  character 
with  unqualified  condemnation.  There  was  in  him 
perversion  of  splendid  endowments,  perversion  of 
conscience,  total  selfishness.  Unable  to  curse  Israel 
and  so  gain  Balak's  reward,  he  insidiously  coun- 
selled their  corruption  by  unholy  alliances  with  the 
Moabitish  women,  and  by  the  licentious  rites  of 
idolatry.  His  evil  counsel  worked  only  too  well  to 
Israel's  sorrow  and  hurt.  But  the  avaricious  prophet 
paid  dearly  for  his  reward;  he  fell  by  the  spears  of 
the  people  he  sought  to  ruin,  and  died,  not  as  the 
righteous,  but  as  the  fool. 

8.  Aaroiis  death,  chapter  xx  123-29.  Before  his 
death  Aaron,  by  command  of  the  Lord,  was  stripped 
of  his  priestly  robes,  which  were  put  upon  his  son 
and  successor,  Eleazar.  His  priesthood  could  not 
pass  into  the  heavens;  it  would  continue  only  on 
earth.  There  is  but  one  priest  who  has  carried  His 
priesthood  with  Him  into  the  glory— the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  Heb.  iv:i4. 


DEUTERONOMY. 

The  name  Deuteronomy  means  second  law.  It 
suggests  or  may.  suggest  that  the  book  contains  a 
second  code  of  laws,  or  a  recapitulation  of  laws  al- 
ready given.  It  is  rather  a  summary  of  what  it  most 
concerned  the  people  to  keep  in  mind,  both  of  the 
Lord's  doings  on  their  behalf,  and  of  what  they 
should  do  when  settled  in  Canaan.  The  key-word 
is  obedience;  key-verse,  chapter  iv:i.  The  contents 
of  the  book  are  distributed  into  four  parts:  (i)  The 
discourses  of  Moses,  chapters  i-xxx.  In  the  dis- 
courses Moses  gives  a  brief  summary  of  the  events 
that  had  taken  place  during  the  past  forty  years, 
chapters  i-iv;  next  he  recapitulates  the  law  of  Sinai, 
with  modifications,  and  more  specific  directions  as 
to  various  ordinances,  chapters  v-xxvi;  and  then  he 
shows  the  advantage  of  obedience,  and  the  awful 
punishment  for  the  neglect  of  the  law,  chapters 
xxvii-xxx.  (2)  Committal  of  the  book  to  the  cus- 
tody of  the  Levites,  and  a  charge  to  the  people  to 
hear  it  read  once  every  seven  years,  chapter  xxxi. 
(3)  The  song  of  Moses,  and  the  blessing  of  the 
twelve  tribes,  chapters  xxxii,  xxxiii.  (4)  Moses' 
death  and  burial,  chapter  xxxiv. 

From  chapter  i:3  we  learn  that  it  was  at  the  end 
of  the  forty  years'  wandering,  and  just  one  month 
and  seven  days  before  the  passage  of  the   Jordan, 


DEUTERONOMY.  57 

that  Moses  pronounced  the  discourses  contained 
in  this  book.  It  is  believed  that  it  took  seven  days 
to  deliver  the  discourses  and  farewell.  The  old 
generation  that  came  out  of  Egypt,  with  very  few 
exceptions,  was  sleeping  in  the  wilderness.  An- 
other generation  had  arisen  during  the  forty  years, 
and  trained  to  hardness  by  the  wilderness  discipline, 
it  was  to  make  the  conquest  of  Canaan.  *They  were 
now  stationed  in  the  plains  of  Moab.  The  good 
land  of  which  they  had  heard  so  much  was  parted 
from  them  only  by  the  Jordan.  They  seemed  to 
have  been  eager,  hopeful,  resolute;  and  just  such 
counsel,  warning,  and  promises  as  Moses  gives  them 
were  what  they  needed.  How  solemnly  did  the  ac- 
cents of  the  well-known  voice  fall  on  their  ears — 
how  impressive  was  the  majestic  presence  of  that 
extraordinary  man,  whose  age  was  now  one  hundred 
and  twenty  years,  and  yet  without  a  trace  of  physi- 
cal decline  or  mental  decay — for  they  knew  it  was 
for  the  last  time  they  should  see  and  hear  him. 

The  circumstances  under  which  the  discourses  of 
the  book  were  delivered,  explain  largely  its  peculi- 
arities. A  certain  "school"  of  interpreters  is  quite 
sure  that  Deuteronomy  was  not  written  by  Moses, 
that  it  is  of  much  later  date.  Various  considera- 
tions are  put  forward  in  support  of  this  view.  Now 
it  is  immensely  significant  that  this  book  is  quoted 
often  in  the  New  Testament,  and  its  authority  rec- 
ognized as  fully  as  that  of  any  other.  Ninety  times 
it  is  quoted  and  alluded  to  by  the  Saviour  and  the 
apostles.  The  threefold  use  of  the  word  by  our 
Lord  to  repel  the  assault  of  the  tempter,  exhibits 
His  confidence  in  the  Scriptures;  but  the  texts  He 
uses  are  all  from  Deuteronomy.     Is  it  credible  that 


58  OUTLI^^E    STUDIES. 

the  Son  of  God  would  quote  from  a  spurious  docu- 
ment? Besides,  the  writing  of  this  book  is  directly 
ascribed  to  Moses,  Deu.  xxxi:24,  25;  and  if  it  was 
not,  then  it  is  forgery,  which  none  but  an  infidel 
would  dare  allege.  If  we  keep  in  mind  that  Moses 
here  addresses  a  new  generation  of  his  people,  that 
the  time  is  at  the  close  of  his  own  life,  and  just  as 
the  people  were  about  to  cross  the  Jordan  and  enter 
upon  their  inheritance,  that  they  required  such  in- 
struction and  warning  as  is  here  given  them,  we 
shall  find  the  key  to  all  the  difficulties  that  have 
been  raised  against  its  genuineness. 

I.  Deiiterojiomy  is  in  ^reat  part  prophetic.  It  has 
Canaan  in  immediate  prospect.  Modifications  of 
laws  and  ordinances  are  made  to  suit  the  changed 
conditions  of  the  Israelites.  Moses  is  fully  con- 
scious of  his  own  prophetic  standing.  He  desig- 
nates himself  as  the  representative  of  that  other 
Prophet  in  due  time  to  be  raised  up  for  Israel,  chap- 
ter xviii:i5-i9.  The  hope  of  Israel  as  to  the  fulfil- 
ment of  the  promise  of  the  Messiah,  rested  mainly 
on  this  prediction  of  Moses,  Jno.  1:45;  vi:i4;  Acts 
iii:22,  23.  The  intimations  of  Israel's  future,  with 
which  Leviticus  closes,  are  drawn  out  more  at  length 
in  this  book,  chapters  xxvii-xxxiii.  It  is  evident  to 
the  seer  (chapter  xxviii)  that  the  warnings  and  aw- 
ful curses  pronounced  against  disobedience  would 
prove  ineffectual,  and  the  result  would  be  followed 
by  a  dispersion  of  his  people  among  the  nations 
of  the  earth.  And  yet  their  continued  existence  is 
prophetically  secured.  They  were  not  to  become 
extinct,  in  spite  of  their  frightful  trials  and  age-long 
persecutions  and  tribulations;  they  were  to  abide, 
until  God's  purpose  in  their  sufferings  should  be  ac- 


DEUTEKONOMY.  59 

complished,  and  then  restoration,  blessing,  and 
peace,  never  again  to  be  taken  away,  were  to  be 
their  portion,  chapters  xxx,  xxxii. 

2.  Blessings  and  curses  of  the  two  Mounts,  chapter 
xxvii.  When  the  land  had  become  theirs,  the  peo- 
ple were  to  set  up  great  stones  and  plaster  them 
with  plaster.  Upon  this  smooth  surface  they  were 
then  to  inscribe  the  law.  The  law  contained  the 
conditions  on  which  the  land  was  to  be  enjoyed. 
Strict  observance  of  it  alone  guaranteed  continued 
possession.  Then  the  people  were  to  divide  into 
two  companies.  Six  tribes  were  to  stand  on  Mt. 
Gerizim  to  bless,  and  six  on  Mt.  Ebal  to  curse. 
The  blessings  are  not  here  recorded,  although  from 
Josh.  viii:34  it  may  be  inferred  they  were.  The 
curses  are  written  out  in  full,  and  are  twelve,  to  cor- 
respond with  the  twelve  tribes,  it  is  thought.  It  is 
notew^orthy  that  both  the  law  and  the  curses  are 
found  together  on  the  same  mount,  viz.,  Ebal.  Law 
and  the  curse  going  together!  Most  suggestive. 
"As  many  as  are  of  the  works  of  the  law,  are  under 
the  curse:  for  it  is  written.  Cursed  is  every  one  that 
continueth  not  in  all  things  written  in  the  book  of 
the  law  to  do  them,"  Gal.  iiiiio;  Deu.  xxvii:26. 
The  dreadful  list  closes  with  this  sweeping  impre- 
cation. No  blessing  here;  only  appalling  maledic- 
tions on  the  disobedient!  Hopeless  is  the  case  of 
him  who  is  under  law  for  righteousness  for  it  is 
written,  "By  the  deeds  of  the  law  there  shall  no 
flesh  be  justified  in  his  sight:  for  by  the  law  is  the 
knowledge  of  sin,"  Rom.  iii:20. 

3.  ^^nz(:/<?2^.y/'n?>ww^,  chapter  xxxiii:25.  "And  as 
thy  days,  so  shall  thy  strength  be."  There  are 
many  "great  and  precious  promises  "in  the  book. 


60  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

and  even  in  this  chapter,  but  this  exceeds.  What  a 
general  promise  it  is.  Our  days,  all  our  days,  till 
life  shall  end.  What  a  particular  promise  it  is;  for 
it  takes  up  our  days,  each  day,  and  day  by  day  to 
the  end.  What  a  varying  promise  it  is;  for  it  adapts 
itself  to  each  day,  and  every  kind  of  day,  black  or 
bright,  prosperous  or  adverse,  happy  or  miserable. 
Surely  it  is  a  glorious  promise!  But  there  is  more 
in  it.  When  one  read  to  ''Uncle  Tom"  the  words 
©f  the  Lord  Jesus,  "Come  unto  me  all  ye  that  labor 
and  are  heavy  laden,"  the  poor  slave  said,  "Them's 
good  words,  but  who  says  'em?"  These,  too,  are 
good  words,  but  it  is  all  important  to  know  who  says 
them.  One  who  knows  our  days,  Ps.  cxxxix:i-6. 
One  who  orders  all  our  days,  Ps.  xxxvii:23.  One 
who  measures  our  days,  Ps.  xxxi:i5.  One  who  loves 
His  people  through  all  the  days,  Jer.  xxxi:3.  One 
who  will  be  with  His  people  through  all  the  days, 
Matt.  xxviii:20.  "And,  lo,  I  am  with  you  all  the 
days,  even  unto  the  end  of  the  world." 

4.  Moses'  death  a?id  burial,  chapter  xxxiv.  It  was 
the  belief  of  the  ancient  Jews  that  Joshua  wrote  the 
account  of  Moses'  death,  contained  in  this  chapter. 
However  that  may  be,  evidently  it  was  long  ago 
added  to  the  book.  The  end  of  the  great  leader 
and  law-giver  was  at  length  come.  It  might  still 
have  seemed  a  triumphant  close  was  in  store  for  the 
aged  prophet.  "His  eye  was  not  dim,  nor  his  nat- 
ural force  abated."  No  look  of  a  dying  man  had 
he,  as  he  climbed  to  the  top  of  Pisgah.  It  was  a 
deliberate  march  to  death  and  burial.  From  the 
summit  he  saw  the  goodly  land — he  "saw  it  with  his 
eyes,  but  he  was  not  to  go  over  thither."  It  was  Win 
last   view.     From   that    height  he   came    down    no 


DEUTERONOMY.  61 

more,  Josephus'  pathetic  description  of  Moses'  end 
may  be  here  inserted:  "Amidst  the  tears  of  the 
people,  the  women  beating  their  breasts  and  the 
children  giving  way  to  uncontrolled  wailing,  Moses 
withdrew.  At  a  certain  point  in  the  ascent  he  made 
a  sign  to  the  weeping  multitude  to  advance  no  fur- 
ther, taking  with  him  only  the  elders,  the  high 
priest  Eleazer,  and  the  general  Joshua.  At  the  top 
of  the  mountain  he  dismissed  the  elders,  and  then, 
as  he  was  embracing  Eleazer  and  Joshua,  and  still 
speaking  to  them,  a  cloud  suddenly  stood  over  him, 
and  he  vanished  in  a  deep  valley."  In  that  strange 
land,  the  land  of  Moab,  Moses,  the  servant  of  the 
Lord,  died,  "And  he  buried  him  in  a  valley,"  "  And 
no  man  knoweth  of  his  sepulchre  unto  this  day." 
On  the  grave  of  the  law-giver  in  the  mountains  of 
Moab,  on  the  grave  of  an  infinitely  greater  than 
Moses,  the  Lord  Christ,  the  darkness  settled.  No 
one  knows  of  either  with  any  certainty. 


JOSHUA. 

The  book  of  Joshua  is  the  record  of  the  conquest 
of  Canaan  and  its  partition  amongst  the  chosen  peo- 
ple. Moses,  the  representative  of  the  law,  could 
bring  Israel  to  the  borders  of  the  inheritance,  but 
he  could  not  lead  them  into  it.  Joshua  (Je-hoshua, 
Jehovah  the  Saviour)  alone  could.  **The  law  was 
our  schoolmaster  to  bring  us  unto  Christ,  that  we 
might  be  justified  by  faith,"  Gal.  iii:24. 

The  book  is  divided  into  two  parts:  Part  I.,  chap- 
ters i-xii,  the  conquest;  part  II.,  chapters  xiii-xxiv, 
distribution  of  the  land  among  the  various  tribes. 
The  key-word  is  possession;  the  key- verses  are, 
Josh.  i:2,  3. 

The  history  of  Israel  continues  through  this  and 
the  following  books.  The  historical  portions  of  the 
Old  Testament  are  devoted  to  the  subject  of  the 
theocracy,  its  practical  working,  and  the  failures  of 
the  chosen  people  to  attain  that  for  which  more  es- 
pecially they  were  called  of  God.  Joshua  was  writ- 
ten not  long  after  the  events  it  narrates.  We  can 
not  enter  now  into  the  proof  of  it.  But  let  the 
reader  ponder  chapters  v:i,  6;  vi:25;  xxiv:26,  etc. 
If,  as  Lias  and  others  hold,  it  was  written  not  later 
than  fifty  years  after  the  events  recorded  in  it,  then 
Deuteronomy  was  in  existence  at  that  remote 
period;  cf.  chapter  viii:30-34;   Deu.  xxvii:2-8. 


JOSHUA.  63 

1.  A  lesson  in  courage,  \\2-g\  v:  13-15.  Joshua  was 
Moses'  successor  as  the  leader  of  Israel,  Num.  xxvii: 
18;  Deu.  xxxiv:9.  To  him  was  given  the  supreme 
task  of  leading  the  people  into  the  inheritance  and 
conquering  it  for  them.  What  he  needed  v^diS  faith, 
assured  confidence  in  God  who  had  promised  to 
give  them  the  land,  and  courage  to  execute  his  com- 
mission; and  these  he  had  in  an  eminent  degree.  It 
is  remarkable  how  large  a  place  courage  has  in  the 
Bible.  Count  its  '' fear  nots"  if  you  can.  '*  Add  to 
your  faith  virtue,"  i.  e.,  courage,  2  Pet.  i:5.  Bold- 
ness is  an  essential  element  in  courage,  to  do  and  to 
dare.  All  successful  workers  for  God  have  it.  Paul 
had  it  but  longed  for  more  of  it,  Eph.  vi:i8-20. 
(See  Acts  iv:i3,  29,  31,  etc.).  Courage  has  its  root 
in  faith,  and  faith  its  root  in  the  Word  of  God. 
See  what  wonderful  use  Joshua's  faith  makes  of 
God's  promise  after  the  perilous  defeat  at  Ai,  viiig: 
"And  what  wilt  thou  do  unto  thy  great  name?" 
What  a  mighty  plea  that  is!  As  if  his  defeat  were 
God's  defeat!  This  is  faith  and  courage  combined. 
A  fearful  man,  a  discouraged  man,  never  accom- 
plishes much  in  this  world.  "  They  were  afraid  to 
confess  him."  "  I  was  afraid  and  went  and  hid 
thy  talent  in  the  earth."  Fear  is  a  failure.  "  Be 
strong  and  of  a  good  courage."  Read  and  study 
Heb.  xi. 

2.  The  passage  of  the  Jordan,  chapters  iii,  iv.  It 
was  a  memorable  event,  this  transit  across  the 
ancient  river,  one  to  be  perpetuated  forever,  iv:i-3, 
20-24.  The  passage  of  the  Jordan  meant  for  Israel 
the  exchange  of  the  wandering,  nomad  life,  for  one 
of  settled  habits  and  permanent  abode.  It  meant 
the  organization  of  the  Hebrews  into  a  nation,  and 


64  OUTLINE   STUDIES. 

the  development  of  their  national  life;  the  preserva- 
tion of  the  knowledge  and  truth  of  God,  and  the 
custody  of  the  revelation  which  was  now  being 
given.  The  conquest  of  the  little  strip  of  territory 
called  Palestine,  where  God  was  to  make  Himself 
known  as  no  where  else  in  all  the  world,  where  in 
due  time  His  own  Son,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  was 
to  appear,  was  an  era  in  the  world's  history.  Let  us 
note  some  things  respecting  it. 

(i)  The  order  of  the  passage,  iii:6.  The  ark  of 
the  covenant  of  the  Lord,  borne  by  the  priests,  was 
to  lead  the  march.  The  reason  is  assigned  in  iii:io. 
It  was  to  strengthen  the  faith  and  courage  of  the 
people.  If  God  open  the  river  for  them  to  pass 
o\'er,  is  it  not  a  token  and  a  pledge  that  He  will  do 
for  them  all  He  has  promised  as  to  the  possession 
of  the  land?  God  goes  before  them,  for  the  ark  was 
His  throne;  there  His  presence  was  displayed,  Ex. 
xxv:22.  A  mighty  struggle  confronted  them;  a  task 
so  great,  an  enterprise  so  difficult,  that  human  sa- 
gacity and  prowess  were  no  match  for  it.  God  goes 
before,  to  encounter,  Himself,  the  difficulties  and 
the  dangers,  and  to  open  for  His  people  a  way  which 
they  could  not  open  for  themselves.  See  Jno.  x:3, 
4.  Jesus  is  our  Leader.  (2)  The  time  of  the  pas- 
sage, iii:i5.  The  barley-harvest  occurred  about  the 
end  of  March  or  in  early  April.  (See  ii:6,  a  proof 
of  the  exact  knowledge  of  the  writer  of  Joshua  of 
the  time  and  circumstances.)  The  river  was  at  its 
flood,  bank-full,  from  the  melting  of  the  snows  in 
the  Lebanon.  At  such  times,  travelers  tell  us,  it 
rushes  on  like  a  "mill-race."  From  its  rise  at  the 
foot  of  the  Lebanon  to  its  grave  in  the  Dead  Sea, 
the  Jordan  has  a  fall  of  3,000  feet — more  than  fifteen 


JOSHUA. 


65 


feet  to  the  mile.     It  is  likely  the  two  spies  swam  it; 
and  it  may  be  they  were  selected  for  this  reason; 
but  it  was  simply  impossible  that  the  mixed  multi- 
tude of  men,  women,  children,  and  flocks  and  herds 
should    do    so.      God   chose   this   season   that    His 
power   might   be  manifested.     It  was   nothing   for 
Him  to  arrest  the  swift  volume  of  water  which  that 
day  was  pouring  down  to  the  Dead  Sea;  for  at  His 
bidding  once  before,  the  waters  of  the   earth   had 
found  their  proper  beds  and  settled  there,  Gen.  i'.g. 
Thus  the  passage  of  the  Jordan  was  an  additional 
proof  and  pledge  of  His  love  and  care  for  them,  and 
therefore  they  could  enter  on  the  conquest  of  their 
inheritance  with  confidence  and  courage. 

3.  Capture  of  Jericho,  chapter  vi.  Jericho  was  the 
key  to  the  land.  It  was  immensely  important  that  a 
signal  victory  should  be  achieved  at  this  point.  If 
the  invaders  failed  here  all  was  lost.  But  they  could 
not  fail,  for  God  marched  at  the  head  of  their  col- 
umn. What  an  extraordinary  assault  it  was,  to  be 
sure,  if  such  it  can  be  called.  A  procession  round 
the  walls  for  seven  days;  not  a  word  spoken  nor  a 
sound  heard,  save  the  blowing  on  seven  horns  by 
seven  priests,  until  the  seventh  day  arrives,  when 
they  were  to  make  the  circuit  seven  times  and 
the  army  was  to  ''shout"  at  the  close  ot  the  sev- 
enth round.  Nothing  more!  Think  of  General 
Grant  trying  to  take  Vicksburg  with  bands  of 
music,  or  Von  Moltke  the  great  fortress  of  Metz 
with  its  splendid  French  army  by  drum  and  fife! 
Could  anything  be  more  absurd?  Bishop  Hall 
thinks  the  soldiers  and  people  of  Jericho  made 
themselves  merry  with  the  spectacle  of  those  sol- 
emn processions  round  their  city.     No  doubt  the 


66  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

Jews  heard  many  a  bitter  gibe  at  the  stupendous 
military  skill  of  their  General  Joshua.  But  if  so, 
their  pleasantry  was  not  for  long.  The  "shout" 
brought  down  the  walls. 

(i)  Obviously,  there  is  not  the  slightest  connec- 
tion between  the  means  and  the  end.  No  sword 
drawn;  no  engine  planted;  no  sappers  and  miners 
to  undermine  the  walls;  no  assault  made.  They 
were  to  go  round  the  city  day  after  day,  and  then 
go  into  camp  at  the  close  of  each  investment. 
Nothing  more. 

(2)  It  was  a  sublime  lesson  in  faith,  Heb.  xi:30, 
"  By  faith  the  walls  of  Jericho  fell  down,  after  they 
were  compassed  about  seven  days."  Faith  appears 
in  their  obedience  to  the  divine  directions.  They 
believed  God.  The  Jews  knew  quite  well  that  the 
means  were  not  adequate  to  the  end.  But  God  had 
spoken;  this  was  enough  for  them.  It  was  not 
something  which  faith  did  or  to  which  faith 
prompted,  but  something  God  had  promised,  and 
faith  acted  on  the  ground  of  the  promise.  Faith 
can  dare  anything  where  God  leads  the  way.  Faith 
removes  mountains. 

.  (3)  The  miracle  was  calculated  to  inspire  the 
Jews  with  confidence  and  enthusiasm.  They  were 
invading  Canaan.  They  were  to  encounter  immense 
difificulties  and  obstructions  in  the  execution  of  their 
divinely  appointed  mission.  They  saw  these  huge 
walls  tumble  down  by  a  "shout"  of  their  army;  and 
they  could  not  but  see  how  strong  and  mighty  the 
God  is  who  marched  at  the  head  of  their  forces. 
How  the  event  must  have  filled  and  thrilled  their 
hearts  with  courage  and  confidence!  Ps.  xliv:i-3. 
(4)     It  was  intended  to  strike  terror  to  the  hearts 


JOSHUA.  67 

of  the  Canaanites.  We  know  from  the  record  that 
it  had  this  effect.  The  hearts  of  the  idolaters 
melted  within  them,  and  they  fought  for  a  cause  al- 
ready lost. 

4.  The  extermination  of  the  Canaanites^  Deu.  vii:i-6; 
Josh.  vi:i7-2i.  This  is  a  serious  topic;  for  it  in- 
volves the  justice  and  holiness  of  God,  and  our  sense 
of  right.  Of  course,  in  a  brief  paper  such  as  this,  it 
is  impossible  to  discuss  it  as  it  should  be.  How- 
ever, some  things  must  be  set  down  which  may  tend 
to  help  the  reverent  student  of  the  Bible  to  a  cor- 
rect view.     God  gave  this  commandment.     Why? 

(i)  Palestine  was  Israel's  by  gift  and  grant  of 
God,  Gen.  xii:^;  xiii:i5;  xxvi:3,  4,  etc.  The  Jews, 
therefore,  were  conquering  their  own  territory. 
Their  right  to  dispossess  the  Canaanites  is  based 
upon  the  right  of  God  to  govern  this  world,  and  to 
dispose  of  any  portion  of  it  according  to  His  sov- 
ereign pleasure. 

(2)  The  Canaanite  probation.  Gen.  xv:i6.  For 
four  hundred  years  at  least  God  had  borne  with 
them.  Ample  opportunity  they  had  to  amend  their 
ways,  and  obey  God.  They  blindly  refused,  held 
steadily  to  their  evil  pursuits,  and  sank  deeper  in 
sin,  and  at  length  judgment  broke  down  upon  them 
in  appalling  severity. 

(3)  Their  moral  character,  Lev.  xviii:2i-25,  27-30; 
xx:i-24;  Deu.  xii -.29-32,  etc.  What  is  told  us  of 
them  in  the  Bible,  presents  them,  in  the  darkest  pos- 
sible terms.  Their  wickedness  was  something  colos- 
sal. Profane  history  gives  them  the  like  character. 
(The  reader  is  referred  to  any  competent  writer  on 
the  Phoenicians,  who  formed  part  of  the  original  in- 
habitants of  Palestine.)     They  were  fallen  into  total 


68  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

apostasy;  into  immoralities  the  most  revolting 
Human  sacrifices,  licentious  orgies,  worship  of  de- 
mons, practices  which  cannot  even  be  alluded  to 
were  common.  Cruelty  the  most  atrocious,  crimes 
the  most  unnatural  and  defiling  were  a  part  of  their 
religion.  It  was  simply  a  question  whether  Israel 
should  be  kept  pure  by  their  extermination,  or  all 
knowledge  and  truth  of  God  be  swamped.  The  two 
peoples  could  not  live  together. 

(4)  God  punishes  nations  for  their  sins  in  timC) 
for  nations  have  no  existence  as  such  in  the  life  be- 
yond. Israel  was  expelled  from  the  same  land  for 
their  apostasy  from  God,  and  their  rejection  of  the 
Messiah. 

(5)  It  was  terrible  surgery  this;  but  it  was  sur- 
gery, and  not  murder:  the  excision  of  the  cancer, 
that  the  healthy  part  may  remain.  The  words  of 
Carlyle  touching  Cromwell's  work  in  Ireland,  fit  this 
case:  "An  armed  soldier,  solemnly  conscious  to 
himself  that  he  is  the  soldier  of  God  the  Just, — a 
consciousness  which  it  well  beseems  all  soldiers  and 
all  men  to  have  always  — armed  soldier,  terrible  as 
death,  relentless  as  doom;  doing  God's  judgments 
on  the  enemies  of  God!  It  is  a  phenomenon  not  of 
joyful  nature;  no,  but  of  awful,  to  be  looked  at  with 
l)ious  terror  and  awe." 

5.  Defeat  at  Ai,  chapters  vii,  viii.  It  was  caused 
by  the:  disobedience  of  Achan.  Achan's  sin  sprang 
from  covetousness,  vii:2i.  This  is  the  root  of  sin; 
Gen.  iii:6;  Jas.  i:i5.  (i)  Sin  robs  God.  All  the 
metals  were  to  be  brought  into  the  treasury,  vi:i9 
(2)  Sin  delights  in  what  God  abominates,  vii:ii 
"The  accursed  thing"  refers  probably  to  the  Baby- 
lonish garment  Achan  stole.     (3)     Sin  breaks  cov. 


JOSHUA. 


69 


enant  with  God,  vii:ii,  15.  All  believers  are  in  cov- 
enant relation  with  Him.  (4)  Sin  involves  others 
as  well  as  the  sinner  himself.  The  crime  of  Achan 
was  imputed  to  all  Israel,  vii:  11.  Sin  never  stops 
short  with  the  transgressor.  (5)  Sin  brings  defeat, 
shame  and  death. 

6.     Battle  of  Beth-horon,  chapter  x.     A  word  as  to 
the  disputed  point  in  this  record  touching  the  "sun 
standing   still."     The   writer   does    not   accept   the 
view  that  this  is  poetry,  vs.  13,  and  no  miracle  was 
wrought.     He  believes  that  God  interposed  to  grant 
what  His  servant  had  asked.     A  miracle  should  not 
be  magnified  beyond  the   purpose   for  which  it  was 
wrought.     God  observes  a  kind  of  parsimony  in  His 
supernatural  operations.     What  Joshua  really  asked 
for  was,   prolongation  of  light,  as  the  astronomer 
Kepler  has  said.     And  it  is  believed  that  light  was 
supernaturally  given  him   in  answer  to  his  prayer. 
He  who  gave  the    Hebrews   light  in   Egypt  while 
their   neighbors,   the    Egyptians,   sat    in   darkness, 
could  easily  give  light  over  the  restricted  region. 

7.  Partitio?i  of  the  la?id,  chapters  xiii-xxi.  By  this 
division  every  family  of  Israel  had  its  homestead. 
On  the  basis  of  it,  restoration  of  alienated  property 
was  made  at  the  year  of  jubilee.  When  the  Jews  are 
restored  to  their  own  land  again  they  will  settle 
there  according  to  this  ancient  distribution.  The 
land  is  God's,  Lev.  xxv:23.  It  can  never  be  dis- 
poned away  finally. 

Joshua's  farewell  to  Israel  is  mingled  with  warn- 
ing and  pathos.  There  is  in  his  words  the  entreaty 
of  the  father,  and  the  command  of  the  soldier.  Let 
his  noble  resolve  be  that  of  us  all:  "  But  as  for  me 
and  my  house,  we  will  serve  the  Lord." 


JUDGES. 

The  book  of  Judges  occupies  a  special  place  in 
the  canon  of  Scripture.  It  describes  the  condition 
of  Israel  during  the  interval  between  the  conquest 
of  Palestine  and  the  time  of  Samuel.  It  is  the  record 
of  a  remote  and  turbulent  age.  "In  those  days  there 
was  no  king  in  Israel,  but  every  man  did  that  which 
was  right  in  his  own  eyes."  This  sentence,  so  often 
repeated  in  the  book,  expresses  the  freedom  and  in- 
dependence,  the  license  and  disorder,  of  the  time. 

It  is  difficult,  perhaps  impossible,  to  fix  the  chro- 
nology of  the  Judges.  Paul's  word  in  Acts  xiii:20 
(A.  v.),  docs  not  settle  the  disputed  points.  I 
Kings  vi:i  must  stand  until  more  light  is  had  than 
we  now  possess  to  justify  its  rejection.  The  Revis- 
ion of  Acts  xiii:20  affords  no  help:  "  He  gave  them 
their  land  for  an  inheritance,  for  about  450  years, 
and  after  these  things,  he  gave  them  Judges  until 
Samuel  the  prophet."  According  to  this,  the  450 
years  run  out  at  the  allotment  of  the  inheritance  by 
Joshua,  and  do  not  cover  the  tinie  of  the  Judges. 
The  most  satisfactory  explanation  of  the  period  of 
the  Judges  is  that  the  years  of  Israel's  oppression 
by  their  heathen  neighbors  are  not  reckoned  in  the 
480  years  of  i  Kings  vi:i.  The  structure  of  the 
book  is  peculiar.  The  historical  succession  of 
events  is  regular  till  the  close  of  Samson's  judgeship 


JUDGES. 


71 


(i-xvi),  where  it  is  broken  off  abruptly,  and  then  fol- 
lows the  theft  of  Micah,  the  raid  of  the  Danites,  and 
the  war   between   Benjamin  and  the  other  tribes, 
xvii-xxi.     The   history  reopens  with  First  Samuel. 
The  book,  accordingly,  is  divided  into   two  parts: 
Part  I.,  chapters  i-xvi;  part  II.,  xvu-xxi.     The  key- 
word is  disobedience;  the  key-verses,  ii:ii,  12,  15, 
16.     Why  does  this  sacred  writer  drop  the  story  of 
the  Judges  with  xvi,  and  turn  his  attention  to  the 
robbery  of  Micah  and  the  wickedness  of  the  men  of 
Gibeah?     These  chapters  (xvii-xxi)  are  not  a  mere 
appendix.     They  form  an  essential  part  of  the  de- 
sign of  the  Spirit  in  this  Scripture.   In  part  I.  (i-xvi) 
we  have  the  disastrous  consequences  of  Israel's  dis- 
loyalty to  Jehovah  as  to  the  corrupt  heathen  in  the 
land.     They  departed  from  God,  and  practiced  idol- 
atry.    God's   protection  was  then    withdrawn  from 
them,  and  they  fell  under  the>ower  of  their  heathen 
neighbors,  whom,  in  violation  of  an  expressed  com- 
mand, they  not  only  tolerated,  but  formed  alliances 
with.     Then  they  cried  to  the  Lord,  and   He  sent 
the  Judges  for  their  deliverance.     Apostasy,  punish- 
ment, repentance,  mercy  and  deliverance;  this  was 
the  round  Israel  went  for  centuries.     In  the  second 
part  (xvii-xxi)  the  internal  consequences  of  unfaith- 
fulness are  portrayed;  the   degradation,  the  savage 
cruelty,  the  lawlessness  ana  profound  immorality  of 
the   people.     Interspersed   with   this   mournful  ac- 
count is  the  beautiful  story  of  Ruth,  which  chrono- 
logically belongs  to  the  time  of  the  war  with  Ben- 
jamin, Ruth  i:i.     Dark  as  the  general  record  is,  it  is 
a  joy  to  find  it  relieved  by  examples  of  faith  and 
self-secrifice,  such  as  the  book  of  Ruth  discloses. 
I.     Character  of  the  Jews  at  the  death  of  Joshua,  Jud. 


72  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

i;  ii:6-io;  cf.  Josh.  xxiv:3i.  The  men  of  the  con- 
quest were  distinguished  for  faith  and  courage. 
They  were  free  in  great  measure  from  the  unbelief 
and  pusillanimity  which  dishonored  their  fathers  of 
the  wilderness.  The  generation  that  took  Canaan 
was  one  of  the  noblest  that  Israel  ever  had.  They 
v/ere  so  because  of  their  training  in  the  wilderness, 
and  the  splendid  qualities  and  example  of  their 
great  leader,  Joshua. — Note:  (i)  One  devoted  and 
faithful  man  may  induce  his  followers  to  serve  the 
Lord:  Joshua  did  so.  (2)  But  a  man  to  do  this 
must  himself  be  a  true  servant  of  the  Lord:  Joshua 
was  such.  (3)  The  removal  of  great  leaders  is 
often  followed  by  a  falling  back  from  the  vantage 
gained.  It  was  so  in  this  case.  Israel  did  not  long 
remain  in  the  place  where  God  under  Joshua  had  set 
them. 

2.  Apostasy  of  the  succeeding  ge?ieratio?iy  ii:  11-23. 
There  is  something  startling  in  the  swiftness  with 
which  the  Israelites  degenerated,  iii:9.  (Caleb's 
nephew  was  raised  up  for  their  deliverance.)  The 
declension  began  among  the  children  of  the  first 
occupiers  of  the  land.  Singular  that  those  who 
must  have  remembered  God's  mighty  deeds  at  the 
Jordan,  at  Jericho,  and  Beth-horon,  should  so  soon 
forget  their  Deliverer  and  King,  ignore  the  cov- 
enant so  solemnly  made  at  Joshua's  death,  and  shut 
their  eyes  to  the  stone  witness  under  the  oak,  Josh. 
xxiv:26.  Surprising  as  it  is,  it  is,  alas!  perfectly 
human.  Men  naturally  gravitate  toward  evil.  Placed 
in  a  position  of  responsibility,  they  always  fail. 
The  history  of  the  race  is  a  series  of  falls  and  recov- 
eries. 

Seven  times,  it  is  recorded,  they  ''did  evil  in  the 


JUDGES. 


73 


sight  of  the  Lord,"  iii:;,  12;  iv.i;  vi:i;  viii:33-35; 
x:6;  xiii:i.  Seven  apostasies,  seven  servitudes  to 
the  seven  heathen  nations,  seven  deliverances!  The 
most  wonderful  thing  is  sin— except  God's  infinite 
patience  and  mercy. 

Note:     Mercies  despised,  pledges  to  God  broken, 
become  the  foundation  for  towering  iniquity.    "The 
depth  of  a  man's  fall  is  in  proportion  to  the  momen- 
tum   acquired   in   bursting   the   bonds   which   held 
him."     The  children  of  godly  parents,  the  children 
of  prayers   and   holy   teaching,  who    despise  their 
birthright,  become  the   Esaus  of  the  world.     Noth- 
ing is  more  fatal  to  the  Christian  calling  than  alli- 
ance with  the  wicked.     He  who  makes  the  experi- 
ment of  such  entangling  alliances,  will  speedily  dis- 
cover that   his  power  is   lost;  that  what  he  builds 
with  the  one  hand,  he  pulls    down  with  the  other. 
Separation,  this  is  God's  call,  2  Cor.  vi:i7,  18. 

3.     IsraeVs  efiemies,  iii:i-6.     Besides  the   remnant 
of  the  Canaanite  nations,  whom  the  Jews   failed  or 
refused  to  expel  from  the  inheritance,  and  who  now 
sore  vexed  them,  a  new  and  formidable  enemy  ap- 
pears in  the  history— the  Philistines.     Like   Israel, 
they  seem  to  have  entered   Palestine  at  a  compara- 
tively  late   date;     so    their   name   would    indicate 
"strangers"  or  "aliens."     They  oppressed  the   He- 
brews longer  than  any  of  the  other  heathen  nations, 
viz.,  forty  years,  xiii:i.     They  were  distinguised  for 
the  strength   and  the  variety  of  their  armor.     The 
most  complete  vocabulary  of  arms  in  the  Old  Tes- 
tament is  taken  from  the   panoply  of  a  Philistine 
warrior,  i  Sam.  xviiiS-;.     They  seem  to  have  amal- 
gamated with  the  remnant  of  the  giants— at  any  rate, 
men  of  gigantic  stature  and  strength  were    found 


74:  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

among  them.  Their  chief  deity  was  the  grotesque 
idol  Dacron,  which  had  the  trunk  fashioned  as  a 
fish,  and  the  hands  and  head  of  a  man.  No  believ- 
ing reader  of  the  book  can  question  the  hand  of  a 
wise  and  just  God  in  the  troubles  Israel  endured  at 
the  hands  of  the  Philistines.  These  enemies  were 
used  as  a  scourge  of  Israel.  The  chosen  people 
found,  as  all  backsliders  must  find,  that  God  is  as 
true  to  His  threatenings  as  He  is  to  His  promises. 
They  deserted  the  arm  of  strength;  of  necessity 
their  arms  became  powerless.  God's  justice  could  / 
not  tolerate  their  sin;  His  love  would  not  cast  them 
off  entirely.  "Thou  wast  a  God  that  forgavest 
them,  though  thou  tookest  vengeance  of  their  do- 
ings," Ps.  xcix:8. 

4.  TJie  Judges,  iii-xvi.  Fifteen  different  persons, 
including  Deborah,  acted  in  this  capacity  during 
the  period  of  the  book.  These  officers  are  not  to 
be  confounded  with  the  ordinary  judges  of  the  The- 
ocracy, cf.  Ex.  xviii:2i-26.  They  were  men  raised 
up  for  a  specific  purpose  and  endowed  with  extra- 
ordinary powers.  Their  duties  were  political  rather 
than  judicial.  Most  of  them  were  military  leaders, 
who  rescued  the  people  from  the  oppression  of  the 
heathen.  They  were  not  a  regular  succession  of 
governors,  but  extraordinary  officers  who  were 
roused  by  the  inward  impulse  of  God's  Spirit  to  de- 
liver their  countrymen  from  the  thraldom  of  their 
enemies.  The  judge  had  no  power  to  make  laws, 
for  these  were  given  by  God;  nor  to  explain  them, 
for  that  was  the  province  of  the  priest;  they  were 
upholders  of  the  law,  defenders  of  religion,  avengers 
of  crimes,  particularly  of  idolatry  and  its  attendant 
vices.      They   governed   Israel   as   the  subordinate 


JUDGES.  75 

apfents  of  Him  who  was  the  supreme  Ruler  of  the 
people,  by  whom  also  they  were  called  to  their 
high  office.  The  most  prominent  of  the  judges 
were  Othniel,  iiiig;  Deborah  and  Barak,  iv;  Gideon, 
vi;  Jephthah,  xi;  Samson,  xiii:25. 

5.  Moral  features  of  this  period.  The  book  of 
Judges  is  the  history  of  Israel's  failure  as  the  wit- 
ness of  the  Lord.  Joshua  sets  before  us  the  energy 
of  faith,  which,  grounding  itself  on  the  promise  of 
God,  and  trusting  Him,  loyally  addressed  itself  to 
the  appointed  task.  In  Judges  we  see  the  miserable 
state  of  the  nation  now  become  unfaithful;  and  at 
the  same  time  the  gracious  interventions  of  God  for 
their  deliverance  from  the  calamities  into  which 
their  unfaithfulness  had  brought  them.  These  in- 
terventions correspond  with  revivals  in  the  history 
of  the  Christian  church.  The  Hebrews  found  it 
more  convenient  to  use  the  heathen  people  than  to 
expel  them;  and  so  these  became  ''thorns  in  their 
sides,  and  snares  for  their  feet."  Note  some  of  the 
bad  effects,  (i)  Idolatry,  with  its  licentious  ac- 
companiments, was  largely  practiced,  xvii.  We  read 
often  of  the  Baalim,  Ashteroth,  of  the  groves,  of 
idols  and  idol-worship.  These  plural  names  (Baa- 
lim, Ashteroth)  are  significant,  one  general  object 
of  worship,  but  idols  without  number  of  that  ob- 
ject. Just  as  in  Italy  there  is  but  one  madonna,  but 
sne  has  a  hundred  different  images  and  shrines. 
{2)  Frequent  and  rash  use  of  vows  was  another 
feature  of  this  age.  It  was  contracted  mainly  from 
the  heathen,  particularly  the  Phoenicians.  At 
Carthage,  old  Hamilcar  exacted  of  his  son  Hanni- 
bal, the  vow,  so  solemn  in  its  origin,  so  grand  in  its 
consequences,  of  eternal  undying  war  with   Rome. 


76  OUTLi:^E    STUDIES. 

By  the  way,  the  name  Hannibal  points  to  Baal,  as 
also  Asdrubal,  Maherbal,  etc.  So  hasty  and  disas- 
trous vows  were  common  in  the  times  of  the  Judges. 
Witness  that  of  all  Israel  against  Benjamin,  xxi:i; 
of  Jephthah,  the  most  tragic  of  all,  xi:30,  31;  of 
Saul,  which  almost  cost  Jonathan  his  life,  I  Sam. 
xiv:24.  (3)  Lawlessness,  amounting  almost  to  an- 
archy, prevailed.  "The  highways  were  unoccupied 
and  the  travelers  walked  through  byways,"  v:6. 
How  vivid  the  picture!  The  thoroughfares  were 
abandoned,  because  infested,  no  doubt,  by  highway- 
men, who  robbed  as  they  listed,  and  there  was  no 
strong  government  to  restrain.  TraveLefs  had  to 
creep  through  byways  to  escape  the  dangerous 
roads.  (See  xvii:6;  xviii:i,  7;  xix:i,  etc.)  (4)  Crimes 
seem  to  have  been  common.  Witness  the  raid  of 
the  Danites,  xviii;  the  awful  wickedness  of  the  men 
of  Gibeah,  xix;  and  the  fierce  slaughter  of  Benja- 
min by  the  other  tribes,  xx.  (5)  Stubborti  persist- 
ence in  evil  was  another  feature  of  the  time,  ii:i7- 
19;  Ps.  cvi:34-43.  This  is  a  world-picture.  Sin 
abounds,  but  grace  super-abounds.  Human  obsti- 
nacy and  unbelief  never  defeat  the  gracious  purpose 
of  God. 

Brief  notes  on  some  of  the  Judges  are  appended. 

Shamgar,  iii:3i.  The  account  of  him  is  confined 
to  this  single  verse.  Yet  it  is  enough  to  mark  him 
as  a  hero.  It  reminds  one  of  the  mention  of  Jabez, 
I  Chron.  iv:9,  10,  or  of  the  condensed  histories  in 
Heb.  xi.  With  an  ignoble  weapon,  a  paltry  ox- 
goad,  Shamgar  wrought  a  deed  of  valor  which  set 
him  among  the  Hebrew  worthies.  How  much 
may  be  done  by  the  most  trifling  means  if  one  is 
working  with  God!     Moses  had  only  a  rod,  Samson 


JUDGES. 


77 


a  jaw-bone,  Jonathan  a  spear,  Esther  her  beauty  and 
her  tongue;  but  with  them  all  was  the  power  of 
God. 

Deborah  and  Barak,  iv,  v.  Deborah  appears  in  the 
line  of  Israel's  deliverers.  Although  no  warrior, 
she  inspired  with  courage  and  enthusiasm  the  war- 
riors of  her  people,  and  the  victory  was  in  reality 
her's.  There  had  been  no  deliverance  had  not  this 
woman  lifted  up  her  voice  like  a  trumpet.  "A 
mother  in  Israel,"  she  named  herself.  Mater  patriae, 
the  mother  of  her  country,  her  people  might  have 
called  her.  Woman's  influence — who  can  measure 
it?  Sarah,  Rahab,  Ruth,  Deborah,  Hannah,  Eliza- 
beth, Mary,  Dorcas:  Blandina  the  martyr,  Monica 
the  mother  of  Augustine,  the  mother  of  the  Wes- 
leys,  the  daughter  of  John  Knox,  Jennie  Geddes — 
their  names,  and  of  scores  more,  will  never  be 
forgotten. 

Gideon,  vi,  vii.  Let  us  not  attribute  his  hesitancy, 
his  request  for  more  proof  that  God  had  called  him, 
to  unbelief.  It  was  his  native  modesty  that  held 
him  back;  the  agony  of  uncertainty — his  need  of 
being  sure  and  doubly  sure.  Thefi,  forward!  It  is 
thus  with  great  souls.  Luther  shrank  from  the 
mighty  task  set  him;  Knox  hid  himself;  Calvin 
sought  to  flee  till  Farel  with  his  tremendous  adjura- 
tion arrested  him.  Gideon  was  fitted  at  length  for 
decisive  service.  His  three  hundred  were  men  of 
like  faith  and  fearlessness  with  himself.  Soldiers 
with  conscience  and  convictions  are  the  bravest. 
Cromwell  wanted  no  other  sort.  He  loved  the 
"godly;"  loved  to  lead  those  who  went  to  battle 
from  prayer  and  praise.  Gideon's  strategy  has 
been  called  "inspired  tactics."     Very  different  from 


78  OUTLINE   STUDIES. 

the  charge  of  the  Old  Guard  at  Waterloo,  and  of 
the  Six  Hundred  at  Balaklava,  it  was  even  more 
notable.  "Lamps,  pitchers  and  trumpets:"  the 
means  were  wholly  inadequate  to  the  end.  But 
God  fought  with  the  three  hundred;  for  He  "works 
with  minorities  who  work  with  Him."  What  an  in- 
vincible thing  faith  is! 

Jcphthah,  xi.  This  captain  is  mentioned  with 
Gideon,  Barak  and  Samson  in  the  monumental 
chapter  of  the  New  Testament,  Heb.  xi.  Notwith- 
standing his  rashness,  his  wild  roving  life,  the  Spirit  , 
has  given  him  rank  among  some  of  the  noblest  of 
the  Old  Testarnent  worthies.  In  spite  of  the  strong 
arguments  urged  in  support  of  the  view  that  he 
actually  offered  his  daughter  in  sacrifice  to  God,  in 
accordance  with  his  vow,  there  is  enough  ground  in 
the  somewhat  ambiguous  narrative  to  justify  a  more 
humane  interpretation.  It  seems  more  in  harmony 
with  the  place  given  Jephthah  among  the  saints, 
and  with  her  "bewailing  her  virginity,"  that  the 
father  devoted  his  daughter  to  a  life  of  celibacy  and 
seclusion.  Every  such  vow  must  be  dangerous  and 
sinful.  To  bind  oneself  by  oath  to  do  something 
unknown  and  unknowable  is  criminally  rash.  Be- 
sides, it  is  foolish  to  imagine  we  can  buy  the  help  of 
God  by  promising  Him  devotion  in  return.  A  hasty 
vow  that  involves  one  in  wrong-doing  is  better 
broken  than  kept.  Better  still  it  is,  not  to  contract 
such  obligations  at  all 

Samsofis  riddle,  x.w\i^.  Samson's  riddle  is  God's 
riddle.  It  shows  us  God  and  the  Enemy  at  their 
several  work — the  enemy  doing  his  work  as  the 
Strong  and  the  Eater,  and  God  in  gracious  and  vic- 
torious power  forcing  him  to  yield  both  meat  and 


JUDGES.  79 

sweetness.  The  riddle  is  the  shortest  and  most 
graphic  account  of  God's  ways  with  the  world  any- 
where to  be  found.  Whether  Samson  intended  it  or 
not,  he  touched  the  secret  of  Providence.  God  per- 
mits the  Devil  to  assert  his  will  and  weave  his  toils 
and  do  his  work  up  to  a  certain  stage;  and  then 
God  interferes,  and  out  of  the  Enemy's  doings 
evolves  His  own  blessed  ends.  That  is  the  history 
of  the  Fall,  of  Jacob,  Joseph,  Moses,  Israel,  Job,  and 
a  hundred  more.  The  death  of  Christ  is  a  most  il- 
lustrious example  of  the  truth  of  Samson's  riddle. 
That  death  transcends  all  other  events.  "  A  by- 
gone eternity  knew  no  other  future;  and  eternity  to 
come  shall  know  no  other  past."  In  the  midst,  the 
Cross  in  lonely  majesty;  God  on  the  one  side  with 
averted  face;  on  the  other  Satan  exulting  in  his  tri- 
umph. What  a  seeming  victory  for  the  Eater — 
victory  eclipsing  all  others.  But  again,  and  more 
and  more  than  ever  before,  he  is  compelled  to  yield 
meat  and  sweetness.  For  by  that  Cross,  Christ  hath 
abolished  death,  destroyed  him  that  had  the  power 
of  death,  and  redeemed  His  people  from  a  per- 
petual bondage.  That  Cross  will  yet  be  the  de- 
struction of  the  world's  evils,  the  expulsion  of  its 
sorrows,  the  overthrow  of  the  kingdom  of  darkness, 
and  the  hurling  of  the  Devourer  into  the  Lake  of 
Fire! 


RUTH. 

Let  us  rejoice  for  the  book  of  Ruth!  Had  we  the 
book  of  Judf^es  alone,  as  to  the  long  period  of  Isra- 
el's history  between  Joshua  and  Samuel,  we  should' 
be  ready  to  conclude  that  all  the  gentler  virtues  had 
fled  from  the  land,  and  lawlessness  and  crime  were 
universal.  But  this  book  lifts  up  the  curtain  which 
veils  the  privacy  of  domestic  life,  and  discloses  to 
us  most  beautiful  views  of  piety,  integrity,  self-sac- 
rificing affection,  gentleness  and  charity,  growing 
up  amidst  the  rude  scenes  of  war  and  strife,  and  the 
abominations  attendant  upon  the  practice  of  idol- 
atry. There  were  still  beautiful  lives  in  those  times, 
and  bright  examples  of  faith.  If  the  enemy  were 
busy  in  corrupting  the  people,  God  likewise  secured 
the  triumph  of  His  love  in  the  hearts  of  many. 
The  key-word  \^  faith;  the  key-verses  i:i6,  17.  Even 
a  cursory  reader  must  be  impressed  with  the  sub- 
lime beauty  of  this  remarkable  record.  For  pathos, 
sweetness,  and  unaffected  naturalness,  it  is  unsur- 
passed. So  graphic  is  this  "prose  idyl,"  that  pic- 
ture after  picture  presents  itself,  and  yet  there  is  no 
confusion,  no  diminution  of  descriptive  power,  and 
the  interest  of  the  reader  is  held,  increased  from 
beginning  to  end.  Its  crystalline  transparency,  and 
inimitable  simplicity  stamp  the  narrative  as  true. 
The  book   is   not  exactly  a  history;  nor  is  it  biog- 


BUTH. 


81 


raphy.  It  is  only  a  little  biographical  episode 
in  a  history.  Just  as  there  were  real  saints  in  the 
darkest  periods  in  the  Middle  Ages,  when  popes 
and  prelates  vied  in  wickedness  with  kings  and 
barons,  saints  who  were  hidden  away  in  quiet 
nooks  and  corners  of  Christendom — so  in  the  mid- 
night of  Hebrew  history  there  were  some  who  wor- 
shipped not  Baal,  who  in  wondrous  simplicity  of 
character  and  genuine  fidelity,  lived  near  to  God, 
and  kept  the  light  of  true  religion  burning  brightly. 
Such  was  the  household  of  Elimelech,  of  Boaz  and 
no  doubt  of  many  others. 

I.  The  principal  figure  in  the  book  is  Ruth.  She  was 
a  Moabitess.  Her  nationality  was  particularly  odi- 
ous to  the  Jew.  An  Egyptian  or  an  Edomite  was 
not  so  abhorrent,  for  one  from  these  people  might, 
according  to  law,  be  incorporated  into  the  congre- 
gation in  the  third  generation,  Deu.  xxiii:8.  But  a 
Moabite  and  an  Ammonite  seem  to  have  been  in- 
terdicted from  entering  Israel  forever,  Deu.  xxiii:3. 
At  least,  they  could  not  enter  till  the  tenth  genera- 
tion. Moab  and  Ammon  had  their  origin  in  one  of 
the  darkest  crimes  recorded  in  the  Old  Testament, 
Gen.  xix.  But  grace  triumphed  over  every  barrier, 
and  this  book  shows  us  its  glorious  victory  in  the 
presence  of  the  most  adverse  circumstances. 

II.  Efforts  to  escape  from  trouble^  1:1-5.  Famine, 
the  frequent  attendant  on  war,  came  to  Bethlehem 
and  the  inhabitants  suffered  want.  "  The  house  of 
bread"  (Bethlehem  so  means)  was  without  bread. 
It  may  have  been  that  the  famine  was  brought 
about  by  the  incursion  of  the  Midianites  and 
Amalekites,  Judges  vi:i-6.  Sure  we  may  be  that 
the  affliction  came  in  consequence  of  Israel's  dis- 


82  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

obedience  and  sin.  Elimelech  and  his  family  de- 
termined to  seek  support  in  the  land  of  Moab. 
The  name  Elimelech  signifies  "My  God  is  King.' 
The  faith  which  is  imbedded  in  the  name  of  this 
good  man  ought  to  have  shone  out  more  brightly 
in  the  time  of  trial  than  it  appears  to  have  done. 
It  is  bad  enough  when  in  the  midst  of  difficulties 
the  people  of  God  come  down  into  the  w^orld  to 
find  help  and  comfort;  it  is  worse  when  they  abide 
there.  And  yet  we  should  not  condemn  Elimelech 
and  his  household,  for  the  inspired  record  gives  no 
hint  that  the  step  taken  was  blamed.  However,  mi- 
gration, flight,  does  not  fly  trouble.  New  and 
worse  afflictions  fell  upon  the  refugees.  First,  the 
godly  husband  died,  the  two  sons  married  Moabite 
women,  and  they  too  died,  and  Naomi  was  left  a 
childless  widow.  Three  widows  in  one  house!  If 
the  Elimelech  family  were  backsliders,  they  found 
as  all  such  unfaithful  professors  of  godliness  must 
find,  that  distance  from  God  is  loss,  disappointment 
and  death.  Nearness  to  God  is  rest,  peace,  bless- 
edness, Ps.  xvi:ii.  Naomi  proved  this  to  the  utter- 
most. When  she  returned  to  Bethlehem,  and  the 
old  neighbors  gathered  about  her  to  ask,  **  Is  not 
this  Naomi?" — she  answered  out  of  a  heart  that  had 
supped  on  sorrow,  "Call  me  not  Naomi  [pleasant], 
call  me  Mara  [bitter];  for  the  Almighty  hath  dealt 
very  bitterly  with  me.  I  went  out  full,  and  the 
Lord  hath  brought  me  home  again  empty,"  i:20,  21. 
People  who  fly  from  one  sort  of  trouble  are  likely 
to  encounter  worse.  We  may  escape  from  famine 
but  wc  cannot  escape  death. 

III.     FaitJi  and  devotion,  v.Z-\Z.     The  Hebrew  fam- 
ily had  not  held  the  relation  to  God  in  secret  in  the 


RT7TH. 


83 


land  of  Moab.  They  were  not  ashamed  of  Israel's 
Saviour.  Some  one  of  them,  perhaps  all  of  them, 
must  have  taught  the  truth  about  Jehovah  to  the 
wives  of  Mahlon  and  Chilion.  Most  likely  it  was 
Naomi  who  did  so.  And  the  teaching  was  not 
fruitless.  No  witness  for  God  ever  is.  How  far  it 
extended  in  this  case  we  have  no  means  of  know- 
ing; but  we  do  know  that  it  bore  the  richest  fruit  in 
one  instance — that  of  Ruth.  Orpah  was  not  so 
deeply  impressed,  i:i5.  "But  Ruth  clave  unto  her," 
vs.  14.  All  sincere  souls  are  tested.  Adam  and 
Eve,  Abraham,  Peter  were.  So,  too,  was  Ruth. 
"Return  thou  after  thy  sister-in-law,"  Naomi  said  to 
her.  But  she  stood  the  test.  She  had  learned 
something,  perhaps  much,  of  the  merciful  Lord  of 
Israel;  she  knew  that  to  be  with  them  was  to  share 
the  blessings  and  promises  which  they  enjoyed. 
The  beauty  and  attractiveness  of  the  people  whose 
God  is  the  Lord  she  had  seen  and  felt  in  the  Eli- 
melech  family;  and  part  from  them  she  could  not. 
Her  reply  to  Naomi's  dismissal  is  surpassingly  fine. 

"Insist  not  on  me  forsaking  thee, 

To  return  from  following  thee; 
For  whither  thou  goest,  I  will  go; 

And  wherever  thou  lodgest,  I  will  lodge; 
Thy  people  is  my  people, 

And  thy  God  my  God; 
Wheresoever  thou  diest  I  will  die, 

And  there  will  I  be  buried. 
Jehovah  do  so  to  me, 

And  still  more. 
If  aught  but  death  part  thee  and  me,"  i:i6,  17. 

"Nothing  could  be  saia  more  fine,  more  brave" 
(Matthew  Henry).     "Her  vow  has   stamped   itself 


84  OUTLINE   STUDIES. 

on  the  very  heart  of  the  world;  and  that  not  be- 
cause of  the  beauty  of  its  form  simply,  though  even 
in  our  English  version  it  sounds  like  a  sweet  and 
noble  rriusic,  but  because  it  expresses  in  a  worthy 
form,  and  once  for  all,  the  utter  devotion  of  a  genu- 
ine and  self-conquering  love"  (S.  Cox).  Let  it  be 
noted,  that  the  devoted  attachment  of  Ruth  to  Na- 
omi springs  out  of  a  true  and  firm  faith.  Her 
choice  of  Naomi's  God  to  be  her  own  is  the  proof 
of  it.  It  was  no  doubt  a  glad  companionship  to 
Naomi.  "Thus  God  never  forsaketh  His;  but  when  ' 
one  comfort  faileth,  findeth  them  out  another;  as 
when  Sarah  died,  Rebekah  came  in  her  room.  Yea, 
God  Himself  stood  by  Paul  when  all  men  forsook 
him"  (John  Trapp). 

IV.  Saliitatio?is,  ii:4.  Boaz,  "a  mighty  man  of 
wealth,"  ii:i,  saluting  his  reapers  with  the  devout 
benediction,  "The  Lord  be  with  you,"  and  the 
hearty  response  of  the  workman,  "The  Lord  bless 
thee,"  is  a  pleasant  picture  of  old-world  life,  and  of 
the  deep  religious  feeling  which  prevailed  among 
this  frank  and  guileless  people.  With  them  it  was 
no  meaningless  form,  no  mere  custom  out  of  which 
the  life  had  flown.  It  was  the  expression  of  those 
who  loved  the  Lord  and  hence  loved  one  another, 
Ps.  cxxix:8.  Gideon  was  saluted  thus:  "The  Lord 
is  with  thee,"  and  Mary  thus:  "  Hail,  highly  favored 
one!  the  Lord  is  with  thee"^ — the  greetings  of 
angels.  Jesus  was  wont  to  greet  His  disciples  say- 
ing, "  Peace  be  unto  you."  The  apostles  closed  their 
letters  with  blessings—"  The  Lord  be  with  you  all." 
In  the  case  of  pious  persons  such  salutations  are 
prayers  for  those  addressed.  How  many  of  our 
common    greetings    have   their   origin    in   prayer! 


RtJTH. 


85 


"Good-bye" — God  be  with  you;  "  Farewell,"  "Good 
night,"  are  prayers.  Addio,  say  the  Italians:  To 
God  I  commend  you!  Once  these  expressions 
meant  all  that  true  hearts  wished  for  each  other. 
Now  they  are  like  old  coins,  of  which  the  image 
and  superscription  are  rubbed  out. 

V.  The  Kinsma?i  Redeemer,  \n/\v:i-i6.  The  duties 
of  a  Kinsman-redeemer  were  both  varied  and  im- 
portant. Lev.  xxv:25-28,  47-50,  treats  of  the  re- 
demption of  the  property  and  person  of  a  "brother" 
who  might  be  reduced  to  penury.  But  there  is  an- 
other feature  connected  with  the  functions  of  the 
redeemer  which  is  brought  before  us  in  this  book, 
viz.,  the  levirate  law,  as  it  is  called,  i.  e.,  the  law  of 
the  near  of  kin  (brother-in-law),  founded  on  Deu. 
xxv:5,  6.  There  can  be  scarcely  any  doubt  but  that 
this  law  acted  in  the  case  of  the  kinsman-redeemer. 
At  least,  it  is  recognized  in  the  transaction  between 
Boaz,  the  kinsman  nearer  than  Boaz,  and  Ruth.  She 
is  persistently  faithful  to  her  duty  to  her  dead  hus- 
band; Boaz  to  the  law  of  Moses;  the  " near  kins- 
man" considerate  only  of  his  selfish  interests.  And 
Boaz  buys  both  the  alienated  land,  and  redeems  the 
person  of  Ruth.  Neither  of  the  two  women  could  sell 
or  restore  the  property.  Ruth  could  glean,  but  she 
could  neither  buy  herself  nor  the  estate  of  her  de- 
ceased husband.  Boaz,  the  "mighty  man  of  wealth," 
is  both  able  and  willing  to  undertake  and  accom- 
plish. How  like  our  Kinsman  Redeemer,  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  who  buys  us,  and  redeems  our  alien- 
ated heritage,  i  Cor.  viiig,  20;  i  Pet.  1:3-5.  Let  the 
reader  note  the  three  majestic  adjectives  in  Peter: 
"incorruptible,  undefiled,  and  that  fadeth  not 
away."     Of  no  inheritance  in  this  world  can  so  much 


86  OUTLINE   STUDIES. 

be  said.  Ours  is,  in  its  nature  incorruptible,  in  its 
possession  without  a  stain,  and  in  its  enjoyment 
everlastingly  fresh  and  satisfying. 

VI.  Genealogy  of  David,  iv:  17-22;  genealogy  of 
Christ,  Matt.  i:5.  And  so  David  the  king  descends 
through  two  Gentile  women,  on  the  name  of  each  of 
whom  there  rests  a  blot,  Rahab  and  Ruth.  The  one 
was  a  harlot,  the  other  was  a  Moabitess  whose  pa- 
ternal ancestor,  Moab,  was  the  child  of  incest!  And 
Jesus  traces  His  human  lineage  through  this  same 
line.  Marvelous  grace  and  condescension!  He  links  * 
Himself,  not  with  a  race  of  righteous  people,  but 
with  sinners.  He  claims  kindred  with  the  poorest 
and  the  worst  of  men,  and  He  saves  them,  too,  who 
will  but  trust  Him.  No  more  need  Naomi  call  her- 
self Mara,  but  the  pleased  and  pleasant  ancestress 
of  Obed,  Jesse,  David,  Jesus. 

Vn.  Worldwide  events  often  hinge  upo?i  a  little  itm- 
dent,  a  triflijig act,  ii:3.  "Her  hap  was  to  light  on  a 
part  of  the  field  of  Boaz."  Her  hap!  And  yet  that 
"hap"  turned  out  to  be  her  marriage,  and  the  births, 
ultimately,  of  David  and  of  Jesus.  Out  of  insignifi- 
cant trifles,  as  men  name  them,  God  weaves  His 
mighty  ends.  An  arrow  is  shot  across  a  deep 
chasm  through  which  a  turbulent  stream  rushes. 
To  the  arrow  a  thread  is  attached,  to  the  thread  a 
cord,  then  a  cable;  and  in  due  time  a  bridge  spans 
the  huge  trench,  and  men  pass  and  repass  at  their 
pleasure. 

The  sleepless  night  of  a  king  turns  out  to  be  the 
salvation  of  a  proscribed  nation,  Esther  vi:i.  A 
young  widow  happens  to  enter  a  harvest-field  to 
gather  a  little  food  for  herself  and  a  dependent 
mother-in-law.       There    follow   that   simple  act,  a 


RUTH. 


87 


marriage,  the  birth  of  a  son,  a  great  king,  and  finally 
a  mighty  Saviour.  Our  God  is  One  whose  provi- 
dence is  so  special  and  minute  that  nothing  escapes 
it,  nothing  is  too  small  for  it,  and  all  things  are 
bent  to  fulfill  His  wise  and  blessed  ends.  Let  us 
trust  Him;  for  He  sees  the  end  from  the  beginning 


FIRST  SAMUEL. 

The   key-word   of   First  Samuel  is,  "Kingdom*' 
the  key-verse,  I  Sam.  x:25. 

These  two  books  take  their  name  from  the  great 
man  whose  history  they  relate,  the  prophet  Samuel. 
In  some  of  the  oldest  translations  they  are  desig- 
nated as  "First  and  Second  Kings,"  and  those 
which  follow  as  "Third  and  Fourth  Kings."  All 
iour  relate  to  the  kingdom  of  Israel.  The  general 
history,  interrupted  by  Ruth,  is  again  taken  up  and 
carrried  forward  to  the  captivity. 

First  Samuel  is  divided  into  two  parts:  Part  I., 
the  theocracy  under  Eli  and  Samuel;  chapters  i-vii. 
Part  II.,  anointing  of  Saul  as  king,  and  his  reign; 
chapters  viii-xxxi. 

First  Samuel  narrates  a  radical  change  m  the  re 
lations  of  the  chosen  people  with  God.  Up  to  this 
point  Jehovah  was  their  king.  Now  in  answer  to 
their  unbelieving  clamor  (i  Sam.  viii:5-9),  a  king 
was  given  them.  To  the  king  they  were  directly  re- 
sponsible; indirectly  to  Jehovah,  as  through  the 
king.  A  new  office  was  introduced  in  connection 
with  the  change  of  relationship,  viz.,  the  office  of 
prophet.  Prophets  there  were  before;  Moses  was 
such  and  others.  Num.  xii:6-8.  But  now  the  office 
becomes  a  part  of  the  national  life,  as  we  may  say; 
and  prophecy  implies  failure.     Yet  out  of  it  all  God 


FIEST    SAMUEL.  89 

wrought  infinite  good.  How  much  we  owe  to  this 
office  cannot  be  computed.  By  it  we  have  the  rev- 
elation of  the  grace  and  counsels  of  God.  First 
Samuel  shows  us  the  failure  of  the  people,  the 
breaking  up  of  the  old  relationship,  the  appoint- 
ment of  a  king,  and  the  office  of  the  prophet  inau- 
gurated. 

The  fall  of  Shiloh  contributed  much  to  the  change. 
The  first  place  where  the  sanctuary  was  located 
after  the  passage  of  the  Jordan  was  Gilgal,  Josh,  v: 
10.  It  was  ere  long  established  at  Shiloh,  Josh, 
xviiiii,  and  there  it  remained  until  captured  by  the 
Philistines,  I  Sam.  iv.  Afterward  it  was  located  at 
Kirjath-jearim,  i  Sam.  vii:i,  2;  and  was  finally 
brought  to  Jerusalem  by  David,  where  it  remained, 
2  Sam.  vi.  Wherever  the  ark  was,  there  was  the 
"house  of  God,"  Ju.  xviii:3T;  i  Sam.  iii:3.  There 
were  other  places  where  worship  was  offered,  but 
the  tabernacle  was  pre-eminent.  The  other  sanctu- 
aries held  a  relation  to  the  tabernacle  such  as  the 
synagogues  held  to  the  temple.  They  were  alto- 
gether subordinate. 

There  are  three  great  names  about  which  most  of 
the  events  of  these  books  of  Samuel  may  be  grouped, 
Samuel,  Saul  and  David. 

I.  Samuel.  His  birth  was  the  answer  to  his 
mother's  agonizing  prayer,  i  Sam.  i:io,  11.  He  was 
asked  of  God,  given  by  Him,  and  his  happy  mother 
named  him  Samuel — "asked  of  God,"  i:20.  Two 
things  are  noteworthy  as  to  Hannah's  conduct: 
First,  after  her  very  earnest  prayer,  "the  woman 
went  her  way  and  did  eat,  and  her  countenance  was 
no  more  sad,"  vs.  18.  An  example  of  faith!  Her 
tears  and  sighs  all  gone.      Second,  her  song  of  joy, 


90  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

ii:i-iO.  It  is  a  very  noble  hymn,  the  outpouring  of 
a  glad  heart  which  could  not  but  sing.  There  is  a 
close  resemblance  between  it  and  Mary's  song,  Lu. 
i:  46-55.  Both  thrill  with  the  deepest  fervor  and 
piety. 

1 .  Samuel  tlu'oiighoiit  his  lo7ig  life  was  a  Nazarite, 
j-ii.  Given  in  answer  to  prayer  he  was  consecrated 
to  God  from  infancy,  and  brought  up  in  the  sacred 
tent  at  Shiloh.  Simple,  devout,  true,  he  was  strong 
in  will,  unflinching  in  the  discharge  of  the  most 
painful  duties,  iii:i7,  18;  xv:26. 

2.  He  was  a  man  of  prayer,  i  Sam.  iii;  vii:8,  9,  etc. 
Stanley  holds  that  the  "cry"  for  which  Samuel  was  _ 
noted,  was  shrill  and  piercing,  and  was  uttered  in  all 
his  intercessions  for  the  people,  when  they  were  in 
danger  of  trouble.  All  the  very  great  men  of  the 
Bible  and  of  the  Church  were  men  of  prayer,  of 
persevering,  believing,  importunate  prayer. 

3.  His  iitflueiice  was  felt  tJiroiigJiout  tJie  whole  natioji. 
Of  all  the  judges  of  Israel,  Samuel,  the  last  of  them, 
wielded  the  greatest  power.  Men  trembled  at  his 
presence,  i  Sam.  xvi:4.  Saul  himself  feared  him. 
His  influence  lay  not  in  military  exploits,  nor  in 
diplomatic  skill,  nor  in  political  shrewdness,  but  in 
his  unswerving  integrity,  his  splendid  loyalty.  In 
his  old  age,  when  the  time  was  come  for  him  to  lay 
down  the  heavy  burden  he  had  so  long  borne,  he 
could  challenge  all  Israel  to  point  out  a  single 
instance  of  his  selfishness  or  unrighteousness,  i  Sam. 
xii:i-5. 

4.  Sa?miel  was  a  prophet,  and  the  first  of  the  long  line 
of  prophets  which  closes  with  the  Old  Testa77ient,  Acts 
iii:24;  xiii:2o;  Heb.  xi:32.  With  him  the  office  and 
order  began  a  distinct  feature  of  the  Hebrew  polity. 


FIRST    SAMUEL.  91 

Prior  to  Samuel  **  the  word  of  the  Lord  was  precious 
[rare]  in  those  days;  there  was  no  open  vision,"  iii: 
I.  With  him  the  "revelations"  through  prophecy 
(which  means  a  message  from  God)  began,  iii:2i. 
Of  the  nature  of  these  revelations,  suffice  it  to  say 
now,  that  they  were  not  by  intuition  or  genius  or 
imagination  of  the  prophet,  but  by  direct  communi- 
cation from  God,  2  Pet.  i:20,  21;  Heb.  i:i,  2,  cf.  Jer. 
xxiii:i6,  21.  We  learn  something  of  the  nature  of 
prophecy  from  the  word  used  about  Samuel,  viz., 
"Seer,"  i  Sam.  ixiQ.  This  was  the  most  ancient 
name  for  the  office;  and  it  seems  to  intimate  that 
the  prophet  was  gifted  with  a  preternatural  sight, 
the  faculty  and  power  of  vision  as  to  unseen  things 
which  ordinary  men  do  not  possess.  Balaam  defines 
it,  "to  have  the  eyes  open,  to  hear  the  words  of  God 
and  to  see  the  vision  of  the  Almighty,  falling  into  a 
trance,  but  having  the  eyes  open,"  Num.  xxiv:3,  4, 
15,  16. 

5.  The  schools  of  the  prophets.  These  were  founded 
by  Samuel,  and  were  designed  to  make  the  office 
permanent  and  effective.  One  was  located  at 
Ramah,  of  which  Samuel  seems  to  have  been  at  the 
head,  i  Sam.  xixiig,  20;  and  others  at  other  places, 
I  Sam.  x:5.  Still  others,  afterward,  at  Bethel,  2 
Kings  ii:3;  at  Jericho,  2  Kings  ii:5;  at  Gilgal,  2 
Kings  iv:38.  The  chief  study  of  the  young  men  in 
these  schools,  no  doubt,  was  the  law  and  its  inter- 
pretation; but  we  gather  from  i  Sam.  x:5,  cf.  i 
Chron.  xxv:i-3,  that  the  cultivation  of  music  was  a 
part  of  their  labors.  The  art  was  not  an  integral 
part  of  the  office  of  prophecy,  but  its  accompani- 
ment; for  in  the  rapt  ecstatic  condition  of  soul  into 
which  he  was  thrown  when  the  spirit  of  prophecy 


92  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

came  upon  him,  his  utterances  rushed  forth  in  a 
tuneful  flow,  and  very  naturally  he  accompanied 
them  with  a  musical  instrument,  2  Kings  iii:i5. 

6.  Samuel,  as  prophet,  was  the  channel  of  comm7ini- 
cation  betzueen  the  Lord  a?id  the  people.  The  priest  was 
so  no  longer;  nor  the  judge.  Whatever  message 
the  Lord  had  for  His  people  was  addressed  to  them 
through  the  prophet.  It  was  he  who,  acting  under 
divine  direction,  inaugurated  the  kingdom  and 
anointed  the  king,  viii;  x:i;  who  announced  the  for- 
feiture of  the  throne  by  the  first  king,  i  Sam.  xv:28; 
who  anointed  his  successor,  xvi:i2,  13.  This  high 
place  the  office  maintained  until  the  fall  of  Israel. 
It  was  the  change  of  relation  with  God  consequent 
upon  the  establishment  of  the  kingdom  which  made 
it  so.  Through  the  priest  the  people  drew  near  to 
God;  through  the  prophet  God  drew  near  to  the  peo- 
ple. In  Heb.  iiiii  the  two  offices  are  united  in 
Christ.  As  Apostle  He  pleads  God's  cause  with  us; 
as  Priest  He  pleads  our  cause  with  God. 

II.  Said.  He  was  of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin,  the 
son  of  Kish,  of  the  family  of  Abiel.  Abner,  his 
chief  officer,  was  his  near  kinsman,  probably  his 
uncle.  The  family  was  one  of  wealth  and  influence, 
I  Sam.  ix:i. 

I .  In  Saul  we  have  maii  acting  i7t  the  energy  of  the 
flesh,  with  small  spiritual  force.  He  was  of  gigan- 
tic stature;  his  physical  powers  enormous.  At 
the  close  of  his  first  interview  with  Samuel,  he 
"turned  his  shoulder  [margin]  to  go" — one  can  al- 
most see  that  massive  shoulder  wheel  round,  sug- 
gestive of  strength,  and  endurance,  i  Sam.  xig.  In- 
decision and  irresolution  mark  his  life  throughout. 
He  had  the  military  qualities  of  a  leader,  and  was 


FIEST    SAMUEL.  93 

something  of  a  statesman,  but  he  was  destitute  of 
true  spiritual  power.  The  gift  promised  and  con- 
ferred upon  him,  i  Sam.  x:6,  9,  had  to  do  with  his 
ruling  and  leadership.  It  does  not  mean  the  new 
birth. 

2.  Condition  of  Israel  at  SauVs  inaugiiratio7t.  It 
was  as  bad  as  it  could  well  be.  The  nation's  help- 
lessness appears  in  the  graphic  words  of  i  Sam.  xiii: 
19;  no  smith  in  all  Israel;  no  sword  or  spear,  save 
those  of  Saul  and  Jonathan.  Could  national  dis- 
armament and  prostration  be  greater? 

3.  His  jealous  disposition.  This  is  seen  in  his  treat- 
ment of  his  own  son  Jonathan,  a  better  man  than 
his  father,  i  Sam.  xiv:38-44;  xx:30;  of  David  the 
truest  friend  he  had  in  the  whole  realm,  xxiii; 
of  Ahimelech,  the  high  priest,  and  of  the  priests, 
xxii.  Saul's  life  was  one  long  tragedy.  A  strange 
frenzy  took  possession  of  him.  The  Scripture 
calls  it  an  evil  spirit,  I  Sam.  xvi:i4-i6;  xviiiiio; 
xix:9,  etc.  He  became  suspicious,  distrustful,  vio- 
lent. Dark  thoughts  tormented  him.  Wild  pas- 
sions shook  his  huge  frame,  with  fierce  spasms  of 
conscience  and  murderous  moods  of  jealousy — in 
fact,  he  seems  at  times  to  have  been  mad.  He  fell 
into  melancholy,  and  his  courtiers  trembled  before 
him  as  he  sat  in  his  house  with  his  javelin  in  his 
hand,  and  the  evil  spirit  brooding  over  him.  His 
courage  forsook  him,  and  he  who  had  been  admired 
for  his  stature  and  strength,  whose  armor  no  ordi- 
nary man  could  wear,  sometimes  fought  with  des- 
peration, and  sometimes  was  craven.  So  fully  had 
come  to  pass  the  words  of  the  prophet  about  him 
and  the  people,  i  Sam.  viii:i8;  xii:i2,  13,  25.  To 
such  an  end  "the  flesh  "  at  length  arrives. 


94  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

4.  His  rejection.  Two  acts  of  disobedience 
marked  his  downward  course.  The  first  was  his 
rash  sacrifice.  He  had  been  bidden  to  tarry  until 
Samuel  should  arrive.  About  the  hardest  thing  a 
weak  and  impulsive  man  can  do  is  patiently  to  wait 
in  the  presence  of  uncertainty  or  perplexity.  Sam- 
uel plainly  intimated  to  him  that  the  kingdom 
should  pass  away  from  him,  i  Sam.  xiii:i4.  It  was 
Saul's  first  distinct  warning  of  the  doom  that  awaited 
him  and  his  house.  The  second  was  his  refusal 
to  execute  on  Agag  the  punishment  his  crimes  ^ 
merited,  i  Sam.  xv.  This  was  a  wilful  violation  of 
the  Lord's  command,  Ex.  xvii:i6;  Deu.  xxviig. 
This  time  Samuel  pronounced  the  decisive  sentence, 

I  Sam.  xv:22,  23,  27-29.  One  of  the  strange  leaves 
in  human  history  here  turns.  Saul  refused  to  pun- 
ish Agag  the  Amalekite;  and  at  his  death  the  fallen 
king  is  stripped  of  his  crown  and  his  ornaments  by 
a  prowling  son  of  Amalek,  2  Sam.  i:io.  Slay  your 
enemy,  sin,  and  it  will  be  well  with  you;  spare  your 
enemy,  sin,  and  it  will  despoil  and  murder  you. 
The  reprisals  of  sin  and  of  law — how  awful  they  are! 

5.  Saiirs  death,  i  Sam.  xxviii,  xxxi.  He  was  in 
sore  distress;  his  kingdom  was  in  imminent  peril; 
himself  forsaken  of  God;  he  felt  that  the  fatal  net 
was  fast  closing  in  upon  him;  that  escape  was  now 
impossible;  and  in  his  dire  extremity,  goaded  to 
desperation,  he  tried  the  experiment  of  consulting 
the  witch  of  En-dor.  "All  human  history  has  failed 
to  record  a  despair  deeper  or  more  tragic  than  his, 
who,  having  forsaken  God,  and  being  of  God  for- 
saken, is  now  seeking  to  move  hell,  since  heaven  is 
inexorable  to  him;  and  infinitely  guilty  as  he  is, 
assuredly  there  is   something   unutterably  pathetic 


FIRST    SAMFEL.  '  95 

in  that  yearning  of  the  disanointed  king,  now  in  his 
utter  desolation,  to  change  words  once  more  with 
the  friend  and  counselor  of  his  youth,  and  if  he 
must  hear  his  doom,  to  hear  it  from  no  other  lips 
but  his"  (Trench). 

As  to  the  question  of  Samuel's  appearance  in 
response  to  the  witch's  incantations,  let  the  follow- 
ing be  considered: — (i)  Saul  testified  that  God  no 
longer  answered  him  at  all,  xxviii:i5.  Is  it  likely 
that  God,  who  refused  to  hold  intercourse  with  Saul 
by  any  appointed  channels  of  communication, 
would  send  Samuel  in  answer  to  the  conjuring  of 
this  hag?  Would  He  so  far  recognize  the  ''black 
art"?  (2)  Vs.  15.  That  the  power  of  the  necro- 
mancer could  reach  to  the  abode  of  the  saintly 
dead,  and  "disquiet"  them  is  incredible.  (3)  "God 
brought  Samuel  up  to  pronounce  his  doom.  The 
sorceress  had  nothing  to  do  with  it."  But  He  had 
pronounced  his  doom,  xvi:i.  The  spectre  foretells 
nothing  that  was  not  already  known,  save  his 
approaching  death;  and  in  the  state  in  which  the 
king  and  all  Israel  were  at  the  time,  it  would  not  be 
difficult  to  predict  the  issue  of  the  impending  bat- 
tle. On  the  face  of  it,  this  strange  account  bears 
evidence  of  the  tricks  of  a  juggler,  and  the  powers 
of  both  the  clairvoyant  and  ventriloquist.  And  it  is 
noteworthy  that  the  name  of  the  witch  in  the  Septu- 
agint  version  is,  ve?itnloquist  The  next  day  Saul 
died.  "  I  gave  thee  a  king  in  mine  anger,  and  took 
him  away  in  my  wrath,"  Hos.  xiiiiii.  There  is  an 
apparent  discrepancy  in  the  two  accounts  of  Saul's 
death  which  we  have.  In  i  Sam.  xxxi:4,  5»  we  are 
told  he  died  by  his  own  hand;  but  in  2  Sam.  i:io 
the  Amalekite  tells  David  that  he  slew  him.     John 


96 


OUTLIJ^E    STUDIES. 


Trapp  is  right:  "An  artificially  composed  speech, 
but  scarce  eVer  a  true  word.  This  Amalekite,  which 
signifieth  a  licking-people,  would,  like  a  cur-dog, 
have  sucked  David's  blood  only  with  licking;  but 
was  happily  disappointed." 


SECOND  SAMUEL. 

The  key-word  is  "  Kingdom";  the  key-verse,  i  Sam. 
xvi:i.  The  unity  of  plan  and  the  design  of  these 
books  of  Samuel  is  quite  apparent.  The  main 
theme  is  the  establishment  of  the  Kingdom  in  Israel, 
and  the  transfer  of  the  crown  from  the  tribe  of  Ben- 
jamin to  that  of  Judah.  The  king  given  in  answer 
to  the  clamors  of  the  restless  people — given  in 
anger  and  taken  away  in  wrath,  is  by  divine  inter- 
position succeeded  by  one  who  '*is  after  God's  own 
heart,"  David.  The  books  of  Samuel  afford  an  il- 
lustration of  Samson's  riddle.  Judges  xiv:i4.  The 
eater  is  made  to  yield  meat,  the  strong,  sweetness. 
Samson's  riddle  is  God's  riddle.  David  is  the 
prominent  figure  in  these  books;  for  his  name  be- 
comes in  due  time  associated  with  the  name  of  his 
Son  and  Lord;  his  throne  merges  into  the  throne  of 
the  Messiah.  Even  his  splendid  son  Solomon  sinks 
to  a  lower  place.  Broadly,  it  may  be  said  that 
First  Samuel  records  David's  wondrous  training  for 
his  mission;  Second  Samuel,  his  reign.  In  the  first, 
he  is  at  school;  in  the  second,  on  the  throne.  Dis- 
cipline! How  large  a  place  it  fills  in  God's  pur- 
poses touching  His  best  servants!  Moses,  Joshua, 
Samuel,  David,  Daniel,  John  the  Baptist,  and  Paul, 
are  the  proof  of  it.  No  man  in  this  world  ever  has 
achieved  much  who  has  not  been  in  God's  school. 

Second  Samuel  contains  the  history  of  the  reign 


98  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

of  David.  The  book  may  be  conveniently  divided 
into  three  parts.  Part  I.,  chapters  i-x:  David  en- 
throned as  king,  first  over  Judah,  and  then  over  all 
Israel.  Part  II.,  chapters  xi-xx:  David's  sin  and  its 
dreadful  consequences — some  of  its  consequences 
are,  incest  and  rebellion  in  his  own  family,  and 
Joab's  insolence  and  lawlessness — a  frightful  crop 
followed  his  sowing!  Part  III.,  chapters  xxi-xxiv: 
David's  last  acts  and  last  words,  and  his  mighty 
men. 

1.  Davids s promhience  in  the  Bible.     No  Old  Testa- 
ment character  surpasses  him  in  this  regard.     He 
ranks  with  Moses  and   Abraham.     Indeed,  in    fre- 
quency of   mention   and   the    reverence    paid  him, 
hardly  another  equals  him.     Jerusalem  is  called  af- 
ter him,   2  Sam.  vig;    Bethlehem,   likewise,  Lu.  ii:4, 
II.     Again  and  again  we   read   of   the    "house    of 
David,"  Zech.  xii:/;  Lu.  i:27,  69;  of  the  "tabernacle 
of  David,"  Acts  xv:i6.      The  relation  which  Christ 
sustains  to  David  is  manifold.     He  is  of  the  seed  of 
David,  Rom.  i:3;  cf.  Ps.  lxxxix:36;  the  Son  of  David 
Matt.  i:i;  xxii:42;  the  Heir  to  throne  of  David,  Lu 
i:32;  Acts  ii:30;  and  He  hath  the  key  of  David,  Rev 
,iii:7;  cf.    Is.    xxii:22.      Scripture   associates    David 
with  Christ  in  the  closest  way;   the  one  ever  fore 
shadows  the  other;  his  "house"  is  the   kingdom  of 
David,  and  this  is  the  fore-gleam  of  Christ's  king 
dom;  his  "key"  is  the  symbol  of  the  authority  he 
had  over  his  house,  and  this  in  the  hand  of  Christ  is 
expressive  of  supreme  sovereignty.     All  this  gives 
David  a  pre-eminence  that  belongs  to  few,  if  any 
other,  in  the  Bible. 

2.  His  birth  a7id  y 021th,  i  Sam.  xvi;     xvii:i5,  34, 
etc.     Bethlehem,  famous  for  its  well,  i  Chron.  xi:i7, 


SECOND    SAMUEL.  99 

was  the  place  of  his  birth,  as  also  the  birthplace 
of  his  august  son  and  heir,  Matt.  ii:4-6.  He  was 
the  youngest  of  eight  sons.  His  lineage  is  carefully- 
preserved  in  Ruth  iv  and  i  Chron.  ii:ii-i5.  (Note: 
in  I  Chron.  ii  David  is  called  the  seventh  son.  Prob- 
ably one  of  the  brothers  had  died  early,  and  so  in 
this  list  he  would  naturally  be  omitted.)  In  the 
genealogy  of  Matthew  he  is  distinguished  by  the 
royal  title,  "  David  the  king."  His  early  manhood 
was  spent  in  the  duties  of  a  shepherd,  an  occupation 
attended  with  personal  hazard.  So  the  sheperd- 
king  tells  us  that  in  defence  of  his  flock  he  slew  a 
lion  and  a  bear,  i  Sam.  xvii:34-36.  Out  of  his  shep- 
herd-life grew  one  of  his  sweetest  psalms,  the 
matchless  Twenty-third;  and  no  doubt  his  sojourn 
in  the  wide  country,  and  his  nights  in  the  field, 
gazing  on  the  starry  heavens  so  dazzlingly  brilliant 
in  the  east,  suggested  some  of  the  images  in  that 
finest  anthem  of  creation,  the  Eighth  Psalm. 

3.  His  anoifiting,  i  Sam.  xvi:i-i3.  The  sons  of 
Jesse  passed  before  Samuel  in  a  sort  of  review. 
The  eldest,  Eliab,  seemed  to  recommend  himself  to 
the  prophet  as  the  successor  of  Saul  by  his  physical 
qualifications.  But  all  glorying  in  the  flesh  and  its 
birthright  is  now  to  be  set  aside.  In  the  sad  exam- 
ple of  Saul  it  has  been  demonstrated  to  all  spiritual 
minds  that  the  flesh  profiteth  nothing.  The  exter- 
nal appearance,  the  fine  proportions  and  lofty  stat- 
ure must  give  place  to  the  energy  of  faith  in  the  in- 
ner man.  The  youngest  in  Jesse's  family,  the  de- 
spised and  forgotten  one,  is  the  chosen  of  the  Lord, 
"for  the  Lord  seeth  not  as  man  seeth;  for  man 
looketh  on  the  outward  appearance,  but  the  Lord 
looketh  on  the   heart."     This  anointing  of   David 


100  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

was  private,  secret.  Publicly  he  was  anointed  over 
Judah,  2  Sam.  ii:4,  and  overall  Israel,  2  Sam.  v:3. 
Note,  Saul  and  Jehu  were  anointed  with  a  vial  of 
oil,  I  Sam.  x:i;  2  Kings  ix:i  (R.  V.);  David  and 
Solomon  with  a  horn  of  oil.  But  Christ  was  anointed 
v/ith  the  oil  of  gladness  above  His  fellows,  Heb.  iig. 
It  was  because  Christ  fulfilled  all  righteousness,  did 
perfectly  the  will  of  His  Father,  that  He  was  raised 
to  the  throne  of  God  amid  the  acclamations  of  the 
heavenly  host. 

We  have  a  little  glimpse  of  David's  personal  ap- 
pearance here.  He  is  said  to  have  been  "ruddy" — 
with  auburn  hair,  and  the  bloom  of  youth  on  his 
cheek.  Tradition  says  that  his  lowly  descendant, 
Mary,  had  also  auburn  or  golden  hair.  He  was  of  a 
"beautiful  countenance,"  had  "fair  eyes,"  the  margin 
has  it;  "beautiful  eyes,"  the  ancient  Septuagint 
reads.  Richly  endowed  as  he  was,  a  poet  of  the 
highest  order,  a  man  of  faith,  zeal,  devotedness,  en- 
ergy, no  wonder  his  powers  were  seen  in  his  brilliant 
and  piercing  eyes. 

3.  Davids  training  for  the  great  destiny  that  God  had 
marked  for  him.  It  was  a  singular  one,  but  perfectly 
adapted  to  the  end  in  view.  First  of  all,  there  was 
his  association  with  the  prophet  Samuel,  which  must 
have  been  of  incalculable  benefit  to  him.  There  can 
be  no  reasonable  doubt  but  that  Samuel  taught  his 
apt  and  gifted  pupil  much;  probably  reading,  writ- 
ing, music,  I  Sam.  xix:i8-24.  But  Samuel  gave  him 
something  far  better  than  mere  accomplishments, 
viz.,  the  knowledge  of  the  law  of  God,  and  the 
beauty  of  a  devoted  and  godly  life.  No  one  could 
spend  any  time  with  Samuel,  no  one  of  the  tempera- 
ment and  piety  of  David,  without  vast  good  to  his 


SECOND    SAMUEL.  101 

own  soul.  Saul  himself  could  not  come  into  his 
presence  without  benefit.  The  influence  of  the 
prophet  on  the  future  king  of  Israel  was  never  lost. 

But  the  main  factor  in  his  remarkable  education 
was  his  afflictions  and  persecutions  at  the  hands  of 
Saul  and  other  enemies.  God  sent  His  servant  to 
that  school  and  set  him  down  to  those  books  which 
were  exactly  suited  to  His  purpose  respecting  him. 
He  could  not  have  been  the  man  and  the  king  he 
was  had  he  not  suffered  as  he  did.  He  could  not 
have  written  the  psalms  that  he  did,  humanly  speak- 
ing, had  he  not  waded  deep  in  trouble  and  sorrow. 
He  could  not  have  been  the  type  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
he  is,  had  he  not  been  hated,  persecuted,  hunted 
like  a  partridge  on  the  mountains.  Because  he 
stood  in  peculiar  relations  to  God;  because  his  life 
was  filled  with  the  strangest  vicissitudes,  swinging 
through  an  arc  that  embraced  much  if  not  all  of  hu- 
man experience,  an  arc  that  touched  the  highest 
point  of  fame  and  grandeur,  and  yet  dipped  down 
to  the  lowest  humiliation  and  sorrow;  because  of 
his  fullness  of  experience;  he  could  write  psalms 
that  suit  all  men  in  all  ages  and  conditions,  psalms 
that  go  to  the  heart  of  all.  Edward  Irving  finely 
says  of  him,  '*  Every  angel  of  joy  and  of  sorrow 
swept,  as  he  passed,  over  the  chords  of  David's 
harp,  and  the  hearts  of  a  hundred  men  strove  and 
struggled  together  within  the  narrow  continent  of 
his  single  heart." 

Three  personal  blessings  came  to  David  from  his 
trials.  The  first  was,  his  prudence  was  unfolded. 
Again  and  again  it  is  mentioned  to  his  credit,  I  Sam. 
xviii:i4,  15,  30;  2  Sam.  xiv:2o;  Ps.  xxxv:i4.  Sec- 
ond, his  magnanimity.     We  see  it  all  through  his 


102  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

life,  with  a  few  painful  exceptions,  and  especially  in 
his  forbearance  toward  Saul.  Third,  his  dependence 
on  God.  It  grew  out  of  his  exposure  to  so  many 
and  varied  perils,  and  out  of  his  hair-breadth  es- 
capes. How  often  he  says,  in  memory  of  the 
dangers  he  has  passed,  "The  Lord  that  hath  re- 
deemed me  out  of  adversity."  Thus  he  constantly 
refers  to  the  Lord  as  his  "  rock,"  "strength,"  etc. 
Indeed  much  of  the  imagery  of  his  Psalms  is  taken 
from  the  hiding-places  and  fastnesses  that  saved 
him  from  the  pursuers. 

5.  Fouiidatioji  of  jferusalem,  the  capital  of  Israel^  2 
Sam.  V,  vi.  It  was  still  in  the  possession  of  the 
heathen  Jebusites,  Josh.  xv:63.  But  David,  and  his 
chief  captain,  the  able  but  unscrupulous  Joab,  I 
Chron.  xi:6,  captured  it.  Thus  the  ancient  city  of 
Melchizedek  became  the  seat  of  the  theocratic  king- 
dom; and  from  hence  onward  it  was  called  "the 
city  of  David,"  and  "the  city  of  God."  Thither, 
also,  amid  universal  rejoicing,  the  ark  was  borne, 
and  God  in  this  symbol  of  His  presence,  dwelt 
among  His  people.  Psalms  cxxxii  was  written  in 
commemoration  of  the  glorious  event. 

6.  The  royal  covenaiit,  2  Sam.  vii:i2-i6;  i  Chron. 
xvii:ii-i4.  It  is  on  the  ground  of  this  great  cov- 
enant that  Christ  is  David's  Heir,  Matt.  i:i;  Acts  ii: 
29-36.  Whether  Solomon  is  in  it  at  all  is  questioned 
by  some.  If  he  is,  it  is  in  altogether  a  subordinate 
way,  as  in  vs.  14.  Bishop  Horsley  (quoted  by 
Bishop  Nicholson)  renders  vs.  14  thus:  "When 
guilt  is  laid  upon  him,  I  will  chasten  him  with  the 
rod  of  men."  With  what  gratitude  does  David  re- 
ply to  the  gracious  covenant  made  with  him  and  his 
house?     In   vs.    19,  is   a  very   peculiar   expression, 


SECOND    SAMUEL 


103 


"And  is  this  the  manner  of  men,  O  Lord  God?"  cf. 
I  Chron.  xviiii^.  Commentators  puzzle  over  it  not 
a  little.  It  certainly  refers  to  the  Messiah.  The 
Sept.  version  renders,  "But  this  is  the  law  of  the 
man,  O,  Lord  God."  The  meaning  seems  to  be, 
"this  is  the  law  about  the  man,"  the  man  promised, 
the  Son  and  Lord  of  David. 

7.  David' s  failures  and  crimes.  They  were  neither 
few  nor  small.  ( i )  When  persecuted  by  Saul  he 
sought  refuge  once  and  again  among  Israel's  ene- 
mies. The  first  time  he  was  extricated  only  after 
deep  humiliation  and  disgrace,  i  Sam.  xxi.  The 
second  time  he  does  so,  he  suffers  loss,  i  Sam.  xxx: 
1-8.  But  he  is  mercifully  preserved  from  fighting 
against  his  own  people.  (2)  His  plurality  of  wives. 
He  established  a  harem  after  the  manner  of  oriental 
monarchs.  To  the  two  wives  he  had  in  the  wilder- 
ness he  added  others,  2  Sam.  v:i3.  The  results  of 
his  sin  were  seen  in  the  disorderly  and  turbulent 
family  that  grew  up  around  him,  and  in  the  kindling 
of  fierce  passions  in  himself  which  led  him  into 
dreadful  sin  at  length.  (3)  His  close  alliance  with 
the  bloody  sons  of  Zeruiah,  with  Joab  more  particu- 
larly, who  murdered  as  he  listed,  and  David  seemed 
powerless  to  punish,  was  another  grievous  mistake  of 
his.  (4)  The  crime  as  to  Bathsheba  and  Uriah.  The 
record  of  this  dark  deed  sets  out  with  the  statement 
that  when  the  army  marched  against  Rabbah  the 
king  tarried  at  Jerusalem,  2  Sam.  xi:i.  "David's 
giving  himself  to  ease  and  pleasure  was  the  root  of 
all  his  wretchedness.  Standing  waters  gather  filth. 
As  the  crab-fish  seizeth  upon  the  oyster  gaping,  so 
doth  Satan  upon  the  idle"  (Trapp).  Our  peril  is 
greatest  when  we  are  neglecting  duty.     What  a  sad 


104  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

history!  What  unworthiness,  that  he,  a  king  from 
God,  honored  of  God  with  such  a  covenant  as  was 
made  with  him,  to  be  guilty  of  such  crimes!  How 
much  happier  when  hunted  as  a  partridge!  But 
even  here  grace,  amazing  grace,  does  not  fail.  He 
is  restored,  and  writes  the  most  pitiful  wail  of  con- 
fession ever  inspired  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  Ps.  li,  and 
the  joy  of  forgiveness,  Ps.  xxxii.  Unpunished  he 
did  not  go.  Amnon's  sin,  Absalom's  rebellion, 
Joab's  insolence,  Sheba's  rebellion,  and  Adonijah's 
attempt  to  seize  the  throne,  were  the  legitimate 
fruits  of  his  guilt.  Ps.  xcix:8.  (5)  His  numbering 
the  people,  2  Sam.  xxiv.  With  all  his  faults  and 
sins,  David,  nevertheless,  was  one  of  the  truest  and 
most  faithful  men  Israel  ever  had.  At  heart,  in  the 
inmost  core  of  him,  David  was  right  with  God. 
Posture  of  soul  toward  God — that  is  the  final  test. 
Here  David  fails  not. 


FIRST  AND  SECOND  KINGS. 

The  design  of  these  books  is  to  trace  the  history 
of  the  Hebrew  kingdom  through  its  most  prosper- 
ous period  to  its  decline  and  fall.  They  record 
Israel's  glory  while  monarch  and  people  serve  the 
Lord;  their  shame  and  misery  when  they  turn  away 
from  Him.  The  momentous  lesson  the  books  teach 
is  obedience  and  blessing,  apostasy  and  ruin. 

Key-word, '  Royalty;' key-verse,  I  Kings  ii:i2;  xi: 
13"  (Pierson). 

Division — First  Kings — Part  I.,  David's  death  and 
Solomon's  glorious  reign,  i-xi.  Part  II.,  revolt  of 
Jeroboam,  and  establishment  of  the  two  kingdoms, 
xii-xxii.  Second  Kings — Part  I.,  history  of  the  two 
kingdoms  to  the  captivity  of  Israel  (northern  king- 
dom), i-xvii.  Part  II.,  decline  and  captivity  of 
Judah,  xviii-xxv. 

I.  Solomofis  reign,  i  Kings  i-xi.  His  name  was 
given  him.  by  his  mother,  but  the  Lord  through  the 
prophet  Nathan,  called  him  Jedidiah,  i.  e.,  "  Beloved 
of  Jehovah,"  perhaps  as  an  assurance  to  David  that 
his  sin  was  forgiven,  2  Sam.  xii:24,  25.  The  name 
Solomon,  which  signifies  ''the  Peaceful,"  received 
the  divine  sanction,  I  Chron.  xxiirg. 

(i)  His  wisdom.  I  Kings  iii:5-i4.  In  answer  to 
his  prayer,  God  gave  him  a  singularly  comprehen- 
sive mind,  power  of  observation  and  reflection,  and 
a  strong  grasp  on  the  great  problems  of  human  life. 


106  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

He  was  a  botanist,  zoologist,  architect,  poet,  and 
moral  philosopher;  in  short,  he  was  the  first  man  for 
intellect  of  his  day,  and  indeed  of  any  time,  i  Kings 
iv:29-34. 

(2)  Extent  of  his  empire,  i  Kings  iv:2i.  By 
"the  river"  is  meant  the  Euphrates,  cf.  Gen.  xv:i8; 
Josh.  i:4. 

(3)  Promotion  of  commerce.  By  alliances  with 
trading  peoples  contiguous  to  Israel  he  furthered 
commerce  to  such  an  extent  that  the  ships  of  Solo- 
mon and  Hiram  ran  on  the  Red  sea,  it  is  thought,  as 
far  as  the  Indian  ocean,  and  on  the  west  by  the 
Mediterranean  to  Tarshish,  perhaps  on  the  coast  of 
Spain,  2  Chron.  ix:io,  21,  and  brought  from  thence 
gold,  silver,  ivory,  sandal-wood,  and  new  forms  of 
animal  life,  "apes  and  peacocks." 

(4)  His  magnificence.  It  appears  in  his  gorgeous 
throne  of  ivory  with  its  twelve  massive  lions,  2 
Chron.  ix:i8,  19;  in  the  sumptuous  provision  for 
his  table,  i  Kings  iv:22,  23;  in  the  plentifulness  of 
the  precious  metals,  2  Chron.  ix:27;  i  Kings  x:27; 
in  the  presence  of  horses  and  chariots  in  Jerusalem, 
for  the  first  time,  i  Kings  x:26-29;  2  Chron.  i:i6. 

(5)  The  temple,  i  King  vi-viii.  This  was  Solo- 
mon's greatest  work.  In  form  the  temple  was  an 
exact  reproduction  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  wilder- 
ness, only  double  in  size.  The  temple,  in  reality, 
was  the  sacred  Tent  in  marble  and  gold.  The  site 
was  Mt.  Moriah,  memorable  as  the  place  where 
Abraham's  faith  had  been  tried,  and  where  David 
offered  and  the  plague  was  staid,  i  Chron.  xxi:28. 
The  amount  of  labor,  wealth,  and  skill  expended  on 
this  magnificent  sanctuary  almost  passes  belief,  i 
Chron.    xxii:i4-i6;     i    Kings   v:i3-i8,    etc.      Never 


FIRST   AND    SECOND    KINGS.  107 

perhaps,  has  the  world  seen  a  costlier  structure,  or 
one  more  dazzlingly  beautiful.  The  second  temple 
was  far  from  being  its  equal,  Ezra  iii:i2.  It  stood 
with  its  facade  to  the  east.  From  the  foundation  to 
the  roof,  the  front  was  clothed  over  with  solid  plates 
of  gold.  When  the  morning  sun  arose,  the  gold  and 
marble  sent  back  his  rays  with  an  added  glory  so 
great  that  a  gazer  standing  on  the  Mount  of  Olives 
opposite,  had  to  shade  his  eyes  when  looking  to  the 
temple  mount.  The  prayer  of  dedication,  i  Kings 
viii,  and  God's  acceptance  of  the  house,  2  Chron.  vii: 
1-4,  afford  precious  instruction. 

(6)  Solomon's  fall,  i  Kings  xi. — Through  the  fa- 
tal institution  of  polygamy  he  was  corrupted  and  his 
court  demoralized.  Heathen  rites  were  introduced; 
idolatrous  altars  arose  hard  by  the  Temple  of  Jeho- 
vah, vs.  6-8.  The  great  prince  sank  lower  and 
lower,  seduced  by  the  multitude  of  his  wives  and 
mistresses;  and  he  disappears  from  the  history  un- 
der the  deepest  cloud — though  the  book  of  Ecclesi- 
astes  gives  some  evidence  of  his  repentance.  "  Be- 
hold a  greater  than  Solomon  is  here,"  Failure  in 
David;  failure  in  Solomon;  failure  everywhere,  save 
in  Him  who  is  the  Witness  faithful  and  true,  Jesus 
Christ.  What  a  creature  man  is!  How  vain,  unsta- 
ble, puerile,  fallible,  worthless;  but  ** Jesus  Christ  is 
the  same  yesterday,  and  today,  and  forever,"  Heb, 
xiii:8. 

2.  Revolt  of  the  Ten  Tribes,  i  Kings  xii.  Reho- 
boam,  Solomon's  son  and  successor,  appears  to  have 
been  a  vain,  supercilious  young  man,  one  of  "foolish 
sons"  of  whom  his  father  so  often  speaks.  Notwith- 
standing the  hundreds  of  wives  Solomon  had,  this  is 
the  only  son  we  read  of,  and  he  none  of  the  wisest. 


108  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

Probably  his  father  had  him  in  mind  when  he  wrote 
the  bitter  words  of  Ecc.  ii:i8,  19. 

Rehoboam's  obstinacy  and  pride  alienated  his 
people;  and  ten  tribes  seceded  from  the  house  of 
David,  and  formed  a  separate  kingdom  with  Jero- 
boam at  its  head.  It  was  only  because  of  the  Lord's 
love  for  David  that  his  throne  remained  for  him  in  / 
Jerusalem,  I  Kings  xi.  Four  times  in  that  chapter 
occur  the  words,  "David  my  servant's  sake;"  God 
would  prove  faithful  to  His  covenant,  though  Da- 
vid's son  would  not. 

Jeroboam's  sin,  I  Kings  xii:26-30.  Political  mo- 
tives led  to  its  commission.  To  make  the  division 
complete  and  perpetuate  his  dynasty,  he  founded 
two  sanctuaries,  one  at  Dan,  the  other  at  Bethel; 
he  placed  in  them  beast-idols,  the  calves  of  Egypt, 
and  with  the  old  cry  of  the  wilderness,  Ex.  xxxii:4, 
saluted  them,  "Behold  thy  gods,  O  Israel,  which 
brought  thee  up  out  of  Egypt."  This  distinctively 
was  Jeroboam's  sin.  And  from  that  time  forward 
he  is  described  as  "Jeroboam,  the  son  of  Nebat,  who 
made  Israel  to  sin."  To  him  directly  the  northern 
kingdom  owed  its  ruin;  to  him  indirectly  Judah 
likewise  her  fall. 

3.  The  Prophets,  I  Kings  xiii,  xvii,  xx,  etc.  Proph- 
ecy implies  failure,  "a  light  that  shineth  in  a  dark 
place."  As  the  transgressions  of  Israel  and  Judah 
increased,  God's  testimony  by  the  mouth  of  His 
prophets  became  more  and  more  energetic  and  in- 
tense. Great  prophets  succeed  each  other  rapidly; 
sometimes  they  appear  singly,  sometimes  in  groups; 
sometimes  many  of  them  are  in  action  together. 
Their  solemn  voices  in  warning  are  heard  all  over 
the  two  kingdoms,  and  swell  and  deepen  as  apOs- 


FIRST    AND    SECOND   KINGS.  109 

tasy  grows  apace,  and  the  catastrophe  approaches. 
Elijah,  Elisha,  Hosea,  Amos,  Isaiah,  Jeremiah— 
what  great  names  are  associated  with  Israel's  and 
Judah's  decline  and  fall! — the  greatest  the  world  has 
ever  known.  Prophet  after  prophet,  prophets  side 
by  side  with  prophets,  mingling  their  stern  and  aw- 
ful voices,  lifting  them  up,  making  their  appeals  and 
their  warnings  and  their  threats,  in  the  name  of  Je- 
hovah, mightier  and  still  more  passionate;  and  yet 
even  they,  sanctioning  their  messages  by  judicial 
signs  and  wonders,  are  powerless  to  arrest  the  apos- 
tasy, and  the  end  comes  at  last  in  fire  and  sword, 
tears  and  blood.  And  poor  Israel's  sun  goes  down 
into  a  dismal  night  that  still  lasts! 

4.  Elijah.  Of  the  large  number  of  God's  wit- 
nesses during  this  period,  to  this  prophet  alone 
must  a  few  words  be  devoted.  Elijah's  miracles, 
like  those  of  Moses,  are  judicial.  He  shuts  heaven 
over  the  rebellious  people,  i  Kings  xvii:i;  Jas.  vii;, 
proves  at  Carmel  that  Jehovah  alone  is  God,  and  the 
people  execute  judgment  on  the  priests  of  Baal,  i 
King  xviii,  brings  down  fire  upon  the  captains  sent 
to  arrest  him,  2  Kings  i.  The  Two  Witnesses  of 
Rev.  xi  will  exercise  the  like  power  in  working  simi- 
lar signs  for  the  same  space  of  time,  three  years  and 
a  half.  His  miracles  were  signs  to  Israel;  theirs 
will  be  signs  to  the  world.  So,  too,  his  last  journeys 
when  he  was  about  to  be  taken  away,  were  signs. 
Four  places  he  visited  in  his  last  tours  just  before 

his  rapture: 

(i)  Gilgal,  2  Kings  ii: I— the  starting  point.  It 
was  the  spot  where  God  "rolled  away  the  reproach 
of  Egypt  from  Israel,"  when  Joshua  had  circumcised 
the  people,  Josh.  vig.     But  this  spot  was  memorable 


110  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

for  the  sin  of  Saul  which  cost  him  his  throne,  i  Sam. 
XV.  Transf^ression  was  multiplied  at  Gilgal,  Hos. 
ix:i5;  Amos  iv:4.  The  point  of  departure  in  a  dou- 
ble sense!  Elijah  cannot  stay  at  Gilgal  because  of 
sin. 

(2)  Bethel,  2  Kings  ii:2.  A  place  of  extraordi- 
nary visions  and  promises,  Gen.  xxviii;  xxxi:i3,  etc. 
Hut  at  l^ethel,  Jeroboam  had  set  up  the  golden  calf, 
and  there  Israel  had  worshipped  and  sinned,  Hos.  x: 
15;  Amos  iv:4.  The  prophet  cannot  remain  at 
Bethel;  sin  meets  him  there. 

(3)  Jericho,  2  Kings  ii:4.  Formerly  the  power 
of  the  enemy  barred  Israel's  way  at  this  point.  God 
smote  the  place,  and  pronounced  a  curse  against  it. 
Man  rebuilt  it  notwithstanding  the  curse,  i  Kings  xvi : 
3+.  The  prophet  cannot  remain  here,  for  sin  again 
confronts  him.  Elijah  passes  the  Jordan,  and  out 
beyond  the  territory  of  Israel  and  into  the  world  of 
the  Gentiles.  How  deep  the  lesson  if  the  people 
h.-\d  eyes  to  see,  minds  to  understand.  What  was 
all  this  but  a  symbolical  representation  of  the  Lord's 
departure  from  Israel,  the  prophetic  light  going  out. 
the  candlestick  being  removed?  But  Israel  would 
not  sec  nor  heed. 

5.  Captivity  of  Israel,  2  Kings  xvii.  "The  course 
of  iniquity  had  been  run.  The  stream  grew  darker 
in  its  downward  flow.  Every  commandment  of  God 
was  broken.  People  and  king  vied  in  debauchery." 
Is  it  any  surprise  God  should  name  them  Lo-ruha- 
m.-ih.  no-mcrry,  and  Lo-ammi,  not  my  people?  Hos. 
1.  1  he  last  king  of  Israel  was  Hoshea,  a  better  man 
than  most  of  his  predecessors,  2  Kings  xvii:i,  2. 
Nevertheless,  the  catastrophe  came  in  his  day.  '  A 
more  devout  ruler  could  not  have  averted  it.     Louis 


FIKST   AND    SECOND   KINGS.  Ill 

XVI.  was  one  of  the  best  of  French  kings,  yet  under 
him  burst  forth  the  revolution  which  consumed  him 
and  his  queen.  Seeds  which  ripen  into  a  harvest  of 
judgment  are  sown  long  before  the  reaping-time. 

6.  Captivity  of  Judah,  2  Kings  xxiv,  xxv.  Many 
faithful  kings  Judah  had  who  ruled  in  the  fear  of 
God,  and  who  earnestly  sought  the  reformation  of 
the  land,  as  Joash,  Hezekiah,  Josiah;  but  more  were 
disloyal  who  walked  in  the  ways  of  the  kings  of 
Israel.  A  fatal  mistake  was  the  introduction  of  the 
idolatrous  house  of  Ahab  into  the  line  of  David,  by 
the  marriage  of  Jehoram  with  Athalia,  2  Chron.  xxi: 
6,  one  of  the  wickedest  of  princesses,  a  true  daugh- 
ter of  the  hateful  Jezebel.  The  last  kings  of  Judah, 
Manasseh,  Jehoiakim,  Jehoiakin,  and  Zedekiah,  were 
about  as  bad  as  they  well  could  be.  It  was  then 
that  Babylon  appeared  in  the  field  and  Judah  went 
into  a  captivity  of  seventy  years;  Babylon,  the  in- 
ventress  of  idolatry,  became  the  instrument  of  exe- 
cuting judgment  on  idolatrous  Judah. 

Three  times  the  army  of  Nebuchadnezzar  invaded 
Judah.  First,  when  Jehoiakim  was  reigning,  the 
king  who  ruthlessly  cut  with  his  penknife  the  scroll 
of  Jeremiah  and  cast  the  pieces  into  the  brazier  of 
coals  whereat  he  warmed  himself,  Jer.  xxxvi:23. 
Jehoiakim  surrendered  to  the  Chaldeans,  and  some 
of  the  principal  men  went  into  captivity,  among 
whom  were  Daniel  and  his  friends,  Dan.  i:i,  6.  The 
second  invasion  was  under  Jehoiakin,  when  a  much 
larger  deportation  of  Jews  to  Babylon  took  place. 
The  third,  at  the  rebellion  of  Zedekiah,  when  the 
city  was  destroyed,  and  untold  suffering  endured. 
It  was  during  these  stirring  times  that  the  powerful 
ministry  of  Jeremiah  was  exercised. 


112  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

7.  Gnitilc  supremacy.  With  the  fall  of  Israel  and 
|udah,  the  world's  power  passed  into  the  hands  of 
the  Gentiles.  Babylon  was  summoned  to  the  place 
of  imperial  power,  of  world  empire,  Jer.  xxvii:5-7; 
Dan.  ii :37,  38.  "Thou  art  this  head  of  gold."  "The 
times  of  the  Gentiles"  then  began,  and  they  run  on 
still.  Israel  has  never  been  reset  in  the  place  of 
independence  and  of  distinct  nationality  from  that 
day  to  this. 

What  then?  Is  this  all?  Is  there  nothing  more 
for  this  poor,  dismembered,  dispersed  people  of 
Israel?  Surely.  God  who  cannot  lie  has  declared 
they  shall  yet  be  Ammi,  my  people.  And  their 
restoration  and  conversion  will  be  blessing  for  the 
whole  world,  as  their  casting  away  has  been  bless- 
ing to  the  Gentiles,  Rom.  xi. 


FIRST  AND  SECOND  CHRONICLES. 

Jt  le  Books  of  the  Kings  give  us  the  general  and 
public  history  of  the  government  of  Israel;  its  glory 
in  the  reigns  of  David  and  Solomon;  its  fall,  and 
the  causes  which  led  to  it. 

The  Books  of  Chronicles,  while  traversing  sub- 
stantially the  same  ground,  have  another  purpose,  a 
well-defined  aim,  viz.,  that  of  tracing  the  history  of 
Judah,  and  the  house  of  David.  Israel  (the  king- 
dom of  Samaria)  does  not  enter  into  these  books 
save  as  its  kings  come  into  contact  with  those  of  Ju- 
dah. In  Chronicles  there  seems  to  be  a  kind  of 
studied  avoidance  of  any  mention  of  the  northern 
kingdom,  and  the  attention  of  the  reader  is  held 
steadily  to  Judah,  Jerusalem,  the  temple  and  its 
priests  and  services,  as  if  God  was  now  concerned 
exclusively  with  these. 

The  key-word  is  "Election;"  the  key-verses,  i 
Chron.  xvii:/,  8,  2']\  xxviii:5. 

Chronicles  serves  well  as  a  title,  if  we  understand 
it  to  mean  the  equivalent  of  "Acts,"  or  "History." 
"Things  Omitted"  (the  title  of  the  Sept.)  is  inaccu- 
rate. The  books  are  not  a  supplement  to  other 
books  of  Scripture;  they  are  an  independent  work, 
having  their  own  plan  and  end. 

I.  The  time  of  composition  can  be  approximately 
fixed.  The  books  were  written  at  the  close  of  the 
Babylonian  exile.     The  genealogy  of  the  house  of 


114  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

David  is  carried  down  to  Zerubbabel,  if  not  a  little 
Ijwcr,  iii:i/-i9.  In  i  Chron.  vi:i5  the  captivity  is 
spoken  of  in  such  a  way  as  to  make  it  evident  that 
the  author  was  writing  in  a  time  subsequent  to  that 
event.  It  is  generally  believed  that  Ezra  was  the 
author.  Certainly  no  man  of  that  time  could  be 
found  better  fitted  for  the  work. 

2.  Cofitcnts.  These  may  be  conveniently  distrib- 
uted into  four  groups. 

I.  Genealogical  tables,  from  Adam  to  the  return  from, 
the  exile,  i  Chron.  i-ix.  It  is  important  to  observe 
tliat  throughout  these  long  lists  of  names  there  is 
traceable  the  sovereign  choice  of  God.  The  lines 
follow  mainly  the  track  of  a  blessed  generation, 
a  separated  race.  Thus,  beginning  with  Adam, 
we  have  the  family  of  Seth  down  to  Noah.  Then 
after  a  brief  list  of  the  families  of  Japheth  and 
of  Ham,  the  family  of  Shem,  whose  God  is  the 
Lord,  is  taken  up  and  traced  to  Abraham  who  be- 
comes, as  it  were,  a  fresh  stock.  His  posterity  after 
the  flesh  is  first  given;  then  Isaac,  the  child  of 
promise,  a  fresh  stock,  because  a  child  of  election, 
follows,  with  Jacob  and  his  twelve  sons,  of  whom 
Judah  is  the  central  object  of  the  inspired  writer, 
for  he  is  the  royal  tribe,  from  whom  the  Messiah  is 
to  spring;  and  the  family  of  David  is  given  the  pre- 
"cminence  in  the  line  of  Judah.  Two  of  the  sons  of 
Israel  arc  omitted,  Dan  and  Zebulun;  no  genealogy 
of  them  is  given.  All  throucrh  it  is  the  sovereign 
action  of  grace  in  the  selection  of  those  who  are 
brought  nigh  to  God  that  is  prominent. 

H.  Daviifs  reigji,  i  Chron.  x-xxix:22.  After  a 
brief  account  of  Saul,  i  Chron.  ix:35;  x,  David's 
throne  is  the  theme,  the  kingdom,  looked  at  as   or- 


FIRST   AND    SECOND    CHRONICLES.  115 

dained  of  God  for  blessing.  And  accordingly  Da- 
vid's sufferings  and  faults  are  passed  over  in  silence, 
except  that  of  numbering  the  people,  i   Chron.  xxi. 

III.  Account  of  the  kingdom  under  Solomon,  i  Chron. 
xxix:28-30;  2  Chron.  i-ix.  ''Then  Solomon  sat  on 
the  throne  of  the  Lord  as  king,  instead  of  David,  his 
father,  and  prospered" — a  remarkable  expression 
not  found  elsewhere  (cf.  i  Chron.  xxviii:5).  The 
throne  was  God's;  and  people  and  king  should  have 
sought  the  realization  of  the  august  idea.  They  did 
not,  yet  the  idea  is  not  lost  sight  of  or  abandoned, 
for  the  Messiah  is  to  fulfill  it  perfectly.  So  David 
and  Solomon  become  types  in  these  books  of  the 
future  glory  of  the  true  Son  and  Heir. 

IV.  Account  of  the  ki?igdom  of  jfudah  from  the  dis- 
ruption to  the  captivity,  2  Chron.  x-xxxvi. 

3.  Desigii  of  First  and  Second  Chronicles.  Their 
object  is  manifold.  Some  of  these  purposes  may 
be  pointed  out.  First,  God's  dispensational  ways. 
Obviously,  with  the  opening  of  Chronicles  a  new 
era  begins.  Through  all  the  preceding  books  we 
have  the  record  of  God's  ways  with  His  chosen 
people,  the  seed  of  Abraham.  The  record  is  carried 
forward  through  the  second  Book  of  Kings,  when 
it  is  broken  off,  no  less  in  sorrow  than  in  anger. 
With  Chronicles  the  sacred  writer  goes  back  to  the 
beginning  and  starts  again  with  Adam,  Seth,  etc., 
and  dwells  with  great  minuteness  on  the  tribe  of 
Judah,  and  the  house  of  David.  With  Chronicles, 
therefore,  begins  the  second  great  division  of  the 
Bible.  Up  to  this  point  failure  has  marked  the 
whole  history.  A  fresh  start  is  now  made;  and 
David's  Divine  Son,  in  whom  all  will  be  made  good, 
comes  more  and  more  into  prominence.    The  Books 


116  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

of  Chronicles  are  related  to  the  new  order  of  things, 
not  to  the  old.  They  are  not  linked  with  Samuel 
and  Kini^s,  but  with  Ezra  and  Nehemiah,  with  Zech- 
ariah  and  Malachi.  They  do  not  look  back,  but 
forward.  The  antediluvian  economy  failed  through 
man's  sin;  the  patriarchal  likewise;  the  Jewish  next, 
in  its  national  capacity.  But  here  begins  a  new 
epoch.  A  remnant  according  to  the  election  of 
grace  returns  from  captivity  to  the  land  of  promise; 
and  the  Spirit  of  God  turns  their  faces  toward  Him 
who  is  promised,  who  will  not  fail. 

A  second  purpose  is,  to  secure  the  genealogy  of 
Christ,  as  the  Son  of  David.  Hence  the  lineage  of 
David's  house,  and  indeed  of  the  whole  tribe  of  Ju- 
dah,  is  very  fully  given.  Evidently,  Matthew  and 
Luke  availed  themselves  of  Chronicles  in  tracing 
the  human  descent  of  our  Lord. 

Another  practical  object  was  to  confirm  the  re- 
turned captives  in  their  allegiance  and  fidelity  to  the 
Lord.  It  is  pointed  out  in  an  impressive  manner 
that  ordinarily  temporal  blessing  ensued  when  King 
and  people  renounced  idolatry,  destroyed  the  idols, 
and  served  the  Lord;  while  punishment  followed 
disobedience  and  apostasy.  Such  teaching  was  cal- 
culated to  settle  the  Jews  in  the  conviction  that  the 
fate  of  the  nation  was  in  their  hands. 
•  4.  Davids  (7nange7ne?its  for  the  worship  of  God,  i 
Chron.  xxiii-xxvi.  These  provisions  relate  to  the 
services  of  the  temple,  and  are  quite  full  and  ex- 
plicit. The  priests,  sons  of  Aaron,  were  divided 
into  twenty-four  orders  or  courses:  the  Levites  into 
twenty-four  courses  of  singers  and  musicians,  por- 
ters, keepers  of  the  treasures  of  the  house  of  God, 
officers   and  judges.      It   is   singular   that    nothing 


FIBST   AND    SECOND    CHRONICLES.  117 

touching  these  arrangements  is  recorded  in  the 
books  of  Samuel  or  of  Kings.  The  reason  for  the 
omission  of  them  in  those  books  probably  is  this: 
in  the  disorder  and  confusion  consequent  upon  the 
captivity,  much  of  the  knowledge  of  the  order  and 
manner  of  God's  worship  would  be  lost,  and  such  a 
guide  as  here  is  given  would  be  both  necessary  and 
useful,  indeed,  indispensable.  Hence  they  are  re- 
corded here  alone. 

5.  Dedicatio7i  of  the  Temple y  2  Chron.  v.  The 
splendid  structure  reared  on  Mt.  Moriah  was  at 
length  completed.  The  Cherubim,  let  it  be  observed, 
stood  at  the  lower  end  of  the  house,  and  really 
looked  outward,  2  Chron.  iii:i3  [margin]  as  if  inti- 
mating that  a  wider  field  of  blessing  ere  long  would 
be  enjoyed.  The  priests  began  the  dedicatory  serv- 
ices, but  it  was  only  when  the  singers  and  players 
on  musical  instruments  sang  and  played  "as  one,  to 
make  one  sound  to  be  heard  in  praising  and  thank- 
ing the  Lord;  and  when  they  lifted  up  their  voices 
with  the  trumpets  and  cymbals  and  instruments  of 
music,  and  praised  the  Lord,  for  He  is  good;  for  His 
mercy  endureth  forever;  that  then  the  house  was 
filled  with  a  cloud,  even  the  house  of  the  Lord,"  vss. 
13,  14.  So,  too,  when  the  disciples  "were  all  with 
one  accord  in  one  place,"  Acts  ii:i,  the  blessing 
came — the  Holy  Spirit  was  poured  out  upon  them 
in  richest  profusion.  Unity  of  will,  of  heart,  of 
voice  and  mind  brings  the  blessing.  Our  discords 
and  jarring  purposes  and  wishes,  hinder  our  prayers 

and  worship 

6.  Deliverances  wrought  for  the  house  of  David. 
There  are  four  of  them,  and  they  mark  a  kind  of 
progress,  and  were  significant  signs  to  Judah. 


118  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

(i)  Abijah,  son  of  Rehoboam,  gained  a  great 
^'ictory  over  Jeroboam,  2  Chron.  xiii  (not  recorded 
in  Kings).  Abijah  was  completely  surrounded  by 
the  forces  of  Israel,  and  escape  seemed  impossible. 
Judah  cried  to  the  Lord,  the  priests  sounded  with 
the  trumpets,  and  the  men  gave  a  shout,  "and  God 
smote  Jeroboam  and  all  Israel  before  Abijah  and 
Judah."  "Thus  the  children  of  Israel  were  brought 
under  at  that  time  and  the  children  of  Judah  pre- 
vailed, because  they  relied  upon  the  Lord  God  of 
their  fathers." 

(2)  Asa,  son  of  Abijah  and  a  better  man,  found 
himself  confronted  by  a  prodigious  host  of  Ethiopi- 
ans, 2  Chron.  xiv  (not  recorded  in  Kings).  The 
battle  was  not  yet  joined  when  Asa  appealed  to  God 
in  the  noble  words  of  faith:  "  Lord,  it  is  nothing 
with  thee  to  help,  whether  with  many,  or  with  them 
that  have  no  power;  help  us,  O  Lord  our  God,  for 
\ye  rest  on  Thee,  and  in  Thy  name  we  go  against 
this  multitude.  O  Lord,  Thou  art  our  God;  let  not 
man  prevail  against  Thee."  The  Lord  in  answer  to 
the  appeal  gave  him  at  once  the  mastery  over  the 
enemy. 

(3)  Jchoshaphat  had  a  still  more  remarkable  de- 
liverance, 2  Chron.  xx  (not  recorded  in  Kings).  He 
was  threatened  by  a  formidable  combination  of  Mo- 
•abites.  Ammonites,  and  Edomites.     In  this  crisis  of 

impending  danger  he  proclaimed  a  fast  throughout 
his  kingdom,  and  summoned  a  national  prayer- 
meeting  at  Jerusalem.  The  pious  monarch  led  the 
devotions  of  the  people;  and  in  his  prayer  he  spoke 
of  Abraham  as  the  "friend  of  God,"  cf.  Isa.  xli:8; 
Jas.  11:23.  He  marched  out  against  the  enemy,  in 
this  extraordinary   order:    in   the   fore-front  of  his 


FIRST    AND    SECOND    CHRONICLES.  119 

battle-line  he  put  singers  who  should  praise  the 
Lord,  and  who  sang  the  refrain  of  the  Temple- 
hymn,  ''Praise  the  Lord,  for  his  mercy  cndureth 
forever."  The  army  of  Judah  drew  no  sword,  shot 
no  arrow.  The  Lord  turned  the  arms  of  the  hostile 
allies  against  each  other;  and  Judah  was  delivered 
without  striking  a  blow. 

(4)  Hezekiah's  deliverance  was  even  yet  more 
wonderful,  2  Chron.  xxxii;  2  Kings  xviii,  xix.  The 
occasion  of  it  was  the  visit  and  insulting  letter  of 
Sennacherib,  king  of  Assyria.  The  godly  monarch 
met  the  crisis  as  a  man  who  trusted  in  God.  The 
enemy  relied  on ''chariots  and  horses,"  but  Heze- 
kiah  remembered  the  name  of  Jehovah.  Sennacherib 
would  have  laughed,  and  thought  him  in  an  ag- 
ony of  fear  had  he  seen  the  king  on  his  knees 
with  the  open  letter  spread  out  before  the  Lord. 
The  proud  boast  of  the  Assyrian  was  but  brief.  In 
this  case,  there  was  no  blare  of  trumpet,  no  call  to 
arms,  no  marching  of  an  army.  In  the  silence  of 
the  night,  and  unattended  by  any  human  agency, 
the  angel  of  the  Lord  smote  the  camp  of  the  Assyri- 
ans, and  with  shame,  defeated  and  broken,  the 
proud  king  turned  back  to  his  own  land. 

7.  A  main  cause  of  Judah' s  fall,  2  Chron.  xxxvi: 
21 ;  cf.  Lev.  xxvi:34.  A  striking  fulfillment  of  proph- 
ecy, and  the  shining  proof  of  its  truth.  Nearly 
nine  hundred  years  before  the  event  God  said  that 
the  people  should  be  carried  away  from  the  land, 
and  it  should  have  its  rest.  And  here  is  the  ac- 
complishment. To  violate  any  command  of  His  is 
to  bring  upon  one's  self  certain  punishment. 

There  are  some  apparent  discrepancies  in  these 
books  of  Chronicles  with  others  of  the  Old  Testa- 


120 


OUILINE    STTTDIES. 


ment.  But  all  of  them  can  be  easily  explained,  or 
pre  due  altogether  to  errors  of  transcribers.  We 
ought  to  be  thankful  that  copyists  of  the  Bible,  in 
the  days  before  printing,  adhered  so  faithfully  to  the 
text,  and  refused  to  tamper  with  it  in  the  slightest 
degree.  For  example,  how  easily  might  a  tran- 
scriber have  changed  2  Sam.  viii:4  so  as  to  harmo- 
nize with  I  Chron.  xviii:4;  or  2  Chron.  xxxviig  with 
2  Kings  xxiv:8.  But  none  of  the  copyists  did  so. 
Their  reverence  for  the  Word  of  God  was  too  deep 
and  true  to  allow  them  for  a  moment  to  do  anything 
of  the  sort.  How  different  are  some  who  live  in 
our  day  whose  pens  are  far  more  reckless  and  dar- 
ing than  Jehoiakim's  pen-knife! 


EZRA. 

With  Ezra  and  Nehemiah  a  new  era  of  Jewish  his- 
tory begins.  The  exile  has  terminated;  a  remnant  of 
the  chosen  people  has  returned  to  their  land;  the 
temple  is  rebuilt;  and  a  new  order  of  things  inaugu- 
rated. The  two  books  relate  to  the  restoration  and 
reorganization,  and  to  the  reformation  of  abuses 
which  had  crept  in.  They  extend  over  a  period  of 
about  one  hundred  years.  Key-word,  "Restoration." 
Key-verse,  Ezra  i:5;  Neh.  ii:5. 

1.  New  names  meet  us  in  these  books.  .  Babylon,  the 
haughty  power  that  made  Judah  captive,  slew  Zcde- 
kiah's  sons  before  his  eyes  and  rudely  blinded  him 
forever,  has  been  overthrown,  as  it  had  been  pre- 
dicted, Jer.  1:1-3.  God  had  used  that  proud  nation 
to  chastise  His  guilty  people;  but  it  exceeded  its 
commission,  and  was  in  turn  punished,  Isa.  xlvii:6. 
Persia  now  sways  the  scepter  of  universal  dominion. 
For  the  first  time  we  encounter  the  name  of  Jews. 
Hitherto  Israel  is  the  title  by  which  the  chosen  peo- 
ple were  called;  now  it  alternates  with  the  name  that 
came  in  with  the  exile  of  Judah  and  at  length  al- 
most entirely  supplanted  it.  In  Ezra  and  Nehemiah 
both  are  found,  while  in  Esther,  Jews  alone  are 
mentioned. 

2.  The  decree  of  Cyrus,  Ezra.  i:i-4.  It  was  issued 
in  the  first  year  of  his  reign  at  Babylon,  B.  C.  536, 
and  had  for  its  scope  the  return  of  the  Jews  to  Pal- 


122  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

cstine  and  the  rebuilding  of  the  temple  at  Jerusalem. 
Many  things  are  remarkable  touching  this  decree: 
(i)  It  was  promulgated  by  a  heathen  king,  spon- 
taneously as  it  would  seem,  although  resulting  from 
the  exertion  of  divine  influence  on  his  mind,  vs.  I. 
(2)  It  recognizes  one  supreme  God,  "the  Lord  God 
of  heaven,"  vs.  2.  (3)  It  declares  that  the  supreme 
God  had  "charged"  the  king  to  rebuild  the  temple. 
(4)  It  urges  the  return  of  the  captives  to  their  own 
land,  and  blesses  them  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  God 
of  Israel,  vs.  3.  (5)  It  directs  that  gifts  be  made  for 
the  building  of  the  temple,  vs.  4.  The  secret  of 
God's  government  of  the  world  is  here,  in  part,  open 
to  us,  and  we  see  how  great  political  events,  anteri- 
orly improbable,  are  brought  about  by  His  action  on 
men's  hearts,  Prov.  xxi:i.  We  infer  also  from  the 
decree  that  either  monotheism  still  prevailed  in 
Persia  or  that  Cyrus  through  contact  with  the  Jews 
had  come  to  know  the  God  of  heaven.  About  fifty 
thousand  Jews  availed  themselves  of  the  privileges 
of  Cyrus'  decree,  and  returned  to  their  homes  in 
Judca,  Ez.  ii. 

3.  Building  a?td  dedication  of  the  temple,  Ez.  iii-vi. 
Never  has  any  work  for  God  been  undertaken  which 
did  not  meet  with  opposition.  It  was  so  in  the 
building  of  the  second  temple.  The  leaders  in  the 
good  work  were  Zcrubbabel,  a  prince  of  the  house 
of  David,  and  Jeshua  (or  Joshua)  the  high  priest. 
For  a  brief  time  they  were  permitted  to  prosecute 
their  task  unmolested;  but  ere  long  the  enemy  be- 
gan to  throw  hindrances  in  the  way.  Satan  will 
never  allow  any  inroad  on  his  kingdom  without  re- 
senting it.  A  proposition  to  join  in  the  work  was 
made  the  builders  by  the   half-heathen  Samaritans, 


EZRA.  j  23 

the  mongrel  population  that  had  been  settled  in  the 
territory  of  the  Ten  Tribes  by  the  Assyrian  con- 
queror. The  overture  was  declined;  and  the  Samar- 
itans became  the  open  and  avowed  enemies  of  the 
Jews.  During  three  reigns,  the  remainder  of  that  of 
Cyrus,  of  Cambyses,  and  the  Pseudo-Smerdis,  they 
stopped  the  work  on  the  temple.  Beginning  again, 
Ez.  v:2,  the  satrap  Tatnai  and  others  interfered,  but 
failed  to  arrest  it.  Then  a  letter  was  sent  Darius 
the  king,  asking  that  search  be  made  as  to  the  ex- 
istence of  the  Cyrus  decree  of  which  doubt  seems 
to  have  been  entertained.  No  copy  of  it  was  to  be 
found  at  the  capital,  so  effectually  had  the  usurper, 
Smerdis,  destroyed  everything  of  the  previous 
reigns.  But  at  Ecbatana,  vi:2,  it  was  discovered; 
and  Darius  confirmed  it  by  a  decree  of  his  own,  and 
even  directed  that  aid  should  be  given  the  Jews 
from  the  royal  taxes  that  the  house  of  God  might 
be  completed.  Moreover,  the  voice  of  prophecy, 
silent  since  the  "third  of  Cyrus,"  when  Daniel  ut- 
tered his  last  warning  (Dan.  x:i),  is  once  more 
heard.  Haggai  and  Zechariah  exhort,  entreat,  warn 
and  encourage  the  people  in  the  good  work  in  which 
they  are  engaged;  and  at  length  they  see  the  happy 
accomplishment  of  the  great  undertaking.  After 
twenty-one  years  the  sanctuary,  the  "second  tem- 
ple," is  completed  and  dedicated  with  appropriate 
ceremonies,  Ez.  vi:i4-i8. 

The  golden  and  silver  vessels  that  Nebuchadnez- 
zar had  seized  and  carried  to  Babylon  were  restored. 
It  was  a  time  of  great  emotion,  loud  weeping  and 
louder  joy.  Aged  Jews  who  had  seen  the  first  gor- 
geous Temple  could  not  refrain  from  tears. 

The  passover  was  observed  for  the  first  time  for 


124  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

seventy  years  at  least.  Six  memorable  passovers 
are  recorded  in  the  Old  Testament:  the  first  in 
Eq^ypt,  Ex.  xii;  the  second  in  the  wilderness,  Num. 
ix;  the  third  at  Gilgal,  Josh,  v;  the  fourth  in  the 
reign  of  Hezekiah,  2  Chron.  xxx;  the  fifth  in  the 
eighteenth  year  of  Josiah.  2  Kings  xxiii;  the  sixth  / 
this  of  the  restored  exiles,  Ez.  viiig.  If  we  add  that 
in  connection  with  which  our  Lord  was  crucified,  we 
have  seven  notable  observances  of  this  feast  in  the 
history  of  Israel. 

4.  Scco?id  return  of  Jews  uiider  Ezra,  arid  reforms, 
Ez.  vii-x.  Fifty-seven  years  after  the  dedication  of 
the  temple,  a  further  return  of  Israelites  from  cap- 
tivity took  place  under  the  leadership  of  Ezra.  His 
authority  to  execute  the  objects  he  had  in  view 
was  derived  from  a  decree  issued  to  Ezra  by  Arta- 
xerxes  in  the  seventh  year  of  his  reign,  vii:8,  12-26. 
The  royal  commission  contemplated  (i)  the  return 
of  all  so  minded  with  Ezra  to  Jerusalem,  vs.  13. 
According  to  chapter  viii,  1,773  adult  male  colonists 
accompanied  Ezra.  "Counting  five  to  a  family  this 
would  give  a  total  of  nearly  9,000  souls;"  (2)  the 
decree  invested  Ezra  with  the  chief  authority  over 
the  whole  district  ''beyond  the  river,"  vss.  25,  26; 
(3)  an  exemption  from  taxation  of  every  kind  was 
granted  to  all  grades  of  Levites,  vs.  24;  (4)  convey- 
ing of  certain  offerings  of  the  king  and  his  officers 
to  Jerusalem,  vss.  15,  19.  There  can  be  hardly  any 
doubt  but  that  numbers  of  the  ten  tribes  returned 
with  Ezra  to  Judea.  The  term  Israel  which  occurs 
frequently  in  both  Ezra  and  Nehemiah,  indicates 
this.  Ez.  ii:7o;  vii:28,  etc.  Besides,  sacrifices  were 
offered  for  the  twelve  tribes,  Ez.  vi:i6,  17*  viii:35- 
Pricsts  and  Levites  were  found  in  considerable  num- 


EZRA.  125 

bers  among  the  restored  captives,  even  the  descend- 
ants of  the  high  priest  as  was  Ezra  himself,  for  he 
was  of  the  lineage  of  Hilkiah  and  Aaron,  Ez.  vii:i, 
5.  Many  Jews  remained  in  the  provinces  of  Baby- 
lon, as  we  know  from  the  book  of  Esther,  and  they 
established  there  schools  which  gave  birth  at  length 
to  the  Babylonian  Talmud,  the  most  influential  of 
all  the  Jewish  uninspired  writings.  Mr.  Wilkinson, 
of  the  Mildmay  Mission  to  the  Jews,  in  his  book, 
"Israel  My  Glory,"  demonstrates  that  on  the  return 
from  the  captivity  of  Babylon  all  the  tribes  of  Israel 
were  represented  in  the  resettlement  of  Palestine; 
and  this  fact  helps  to  solve  not  a  few  problems,  as 
e.  g.  that  of  the  lost  ten  tribes,  the  address  of  James 
to  the  twelve  tribes,  Jas.  i:i,  etc.  Of  course,  it  is 
not  denied  that  there  are  remnants  of  those  lost 
tribes  scattered  over  the  world  who  will  be  restored 
when  God  sets  His  hand  a  second  time  to  bring 
back  His  people,  Is.  xiiii,  but  it  may  be  well  for  us 
to  reflect  that  among  the  Israelites  known  to  us  in 
Asia,  Europe  and  America,  there  are  descendants  of 
the  twelve  tribes;  not  those  of  Judah  and  Benjamin 
alone. 

5.  Ezra  as  a  reformer.  All  through  his  book  there 
are  evidences  that  his  chief  aim  was  to  reorganize 
the  worship  of  God,  to  instruct  the  people  in  the 
law,  and  to  restore  the  ancient  rights  and  customs. 
That  he  was  competent  for  such  work  is  clear 
from  the  fact  of  his  being  "a  ready  scribe  in  the 
law  of  Moses,"  Ez.  vii:6.  By  this  is  meant  that  he 
was  not  only  a  careful  and  accurate  transcriber,  but 
also  a  sound  interpreter  of  the  law.  His  influence 
ovei  the  Jews  of  his  time  and  of  succeeding  ages 
was  very  great.     He  ranked  with  David  and  Moses. 


126  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

( 1)  He  brought  about  the  repudiation  of  heathen 
wives,  Ez.  x:io.  Out  of  the  whole  population  there 
were  112  cases  of  mixed  marriages  to  which  the 
law  of  Moses  was  applied  and  obeyed. 

(2)  He  was  an  expounder  of  the  law  to  the  peo- 
ple, Neh.  viii.  His  public  teaching  was  of  the  most 
effective  kind,  for  it  was  followed  by  the  very  best 
results,  viz.,  reformation,  penitence,  and  genuine 
sorrow  for  sin. 

(3)  A  persistent  Jewish  tradition  ascribes  to  him 
the  founding  of  that  beneficent  institution  of  later 
Judaism,  the  synagogue. 

(4)  He  had  much  to  do,  it  is  very  generally  be- 
lieved, with  the  arrangement  of  the  canon  of  the 
Old  Testament.  The  order  in  which  the  book  of 
Psalms  comes  to  us,  it  has  been  long  held,  is  due  to 
Ezra.  That  he  was  in  a  position  to  do  such  im- 
portant work  is  evident  from  the  fact  of  his  being 
learned  in  the  Word  of  God  and  the  inspiration  of 
the  Spirit  of  God  which  he  enjoved. 


NEHEMIAH. 

Nehemiah  was  an  official  of  rank  at  the  court  of  the 
Persian  monarch,  Artaxerxes  Longimanus.  He  is  not 
to  be  confounded  with  the  Nehemiah  who  returned 
from  the  exile  to  Jerusalem  under  Zerubbabel  and 
Joshua,  Ezra  ii:2.  The  **  cup-bearer "  to  the  king 
flourished  and  wrought  his  good  work  under  God  in 
behalf  of  the  restored  captives  nearly  one  hundred 
years  after  Zerubbabel  reached  Judea.  This  book 
extends  over  a  period  of  about  twelve  years,  viz., 
from  B.  C.  445  to  433.  It  contains  the  account  of 
Nehemiah  himself  and  of  certain  proceedings  in 
which  he  was  engaged  between  the  twentieth  and 
thirty-second  or  thirty-third  years  of  Artaxerxes' 
reign.  It  is  the  last  of  the  Old  Testament  historical 
books.  Its  design  is  to  supplement  and  complete 
the  account  of  the  return  of  the  Jews  from  captivity 
recorded  in  Ezra,  to  record  the  circumstances  at- 
tending the  rebuilding  of  the  walls  of  Jerusalem 
and  the  reforms  which  were  introduced.  While 
Nehemiah  is  almost  universally  admitted  to  be  the 
author,  there  are  evidences  that  he  availed  himself 
of  documents  existing  in  his  day  for  certain  portions 
of  his  work.     Its  date  is  B.  C.  430-432. 

The  contents  may  be  distributed  thus:  Introduc- 
tory, chapters  i,  ii;  in  which  the  writer  narrates  the 
circumstances  under  which  he  engaged  in  the  work 
of  reconstructing  the  walls  of  the  city,  and  the  au- 


128  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

thority  given  him  by  the  king  so  to  do.  The  main 
narrative,  chapters  iii-vii:5;  where  it  is  interrupted  by 
a  list  of  the  families  that  returned  in  the  first  expe- 
dition; then,  from  the  close  of  chapter  vii,  the  nar- 
rative is  resumed  and  continued,  with  other  lists 
inserted,  to  the  end  of  the  book.  It  will  be  observed 
that  Neh.  vii  and  Ezra  ii  are  identical,  or  nearly  so. 
Which  list  is  the  original,  and  which  the  copy?  Or 
did  these  two  writers  copy  from  some  genealogical 
register  extant  in  their  times?  Nehemiah  tells  us 
vii  15,  that  he  found  a  register  of  the  genealogy  of 
those  who  went  up  at  the  first — language  which 
plainly  signifies  that  the  list  he  gives  was  one  which 
he  found  already  existing,  and  the  fair  supposition 
is  that  it  was  either  that  of  Ezra  ii,  or  some  docu- 
ment that  preserved  the  family  records  of  the  Jews. 
Probably  the  former  supposition  is  nearer  the  truth. 

Nehemiah  gives  a  vivid  picture  of  the  condition 
of  the  Jews  at  the  time  of  the  restoration.  Their 
feebleness  and  paucity  of  numbers  are  very  notice- 
able. The  sneer  of  Sanballat  that  a  fox  might  break 
down  their  walls  suggests  much.  The  list  in  chap- 
ter vii  gives  of  "the  whole  congregation  together" 
42,360,  and  of  servants,  7,337,  and  245  singers.  The 
weakness  of  the  congregation  is  seen  when  this 
number  is  compared  with  the  times  when  Judah 
alone  numbered  470,000  warriors,  i  Chron.  xxi:5. 

Ezra  was  a  great  reformer,  and  he  was  ably  sup- 
ported in  the  work  of  reorganization  by  this  earnest 
and  uncompromising  champion  of  pure  Judaism— 
Nehemiah.  News  of  the  afflictions  of  his  people  at 
Jerusalem  and  of  the  ruined  condition  of  the  walls 
of  the  holy  city  reached  him  at  the  Persian  court, 
and  caused  him  profound  grief.     He  sought  and  ob- 


NEHEMIAH.  129 

tained  leave  of  his  sovereign  to  go  up  to  Jerusalem 
and  rebuild  the  broken  walls  of  the  city.  This  was 
about  twelve  or  thirteen  years  after  the  first  visit  of 
Ezra.  Keeping  his  mission  secret,  Nehemiah 
planned  the  work  he  had  set  himself  to  do;  parti- 
tioned out  the  task  among  a  large  number  of  work- 
ing-parties, all  acting  simultaneously;  and  in  a  little 
more  than  seven  weeks  the  entire  wall  was  repaired 
and  restored  to  its  full  height,  Neh.  vi:i5.  Strong 
doors  were  set  in  the  gateway,  guards  established, 
and  the  gates  were  kept  closed  from  nightfall  "until 
the  sun  was  hot,"  vii:3.  Nehemiah's  administration 
at  Jerusalem  was  not  less  than  thirteen  years,  and 
he  governed  with  the  same  vigor,  promptness,  and 
energy  which  marked  the  opening  months  of  his 
work. 

(i)  His  hospitality,  dispensed  both  towards  na- 
tives and  foreigners,  was  generous,  v:  14-18. 

(2)  He  augmented  the  population  of  Jerusalem 
by  bringing  men  in  from  the  country  districts,  xi:i. 

(3)  He  redeemed  large  numbers  of  Jews  who 
had  been  sold  into  slavery  among  the  heathen,  and 
restored  them  to  their  native  land;  and  put  an  end 
to  a  system  of  borrowing  money  of  the  most  op- 
pressive sort,  v:i-i3;  x:3i. 

(4)  He  enforced  the  strict  observance  of  the  Sab- 
bath, x:3i;  xiii:i5-22;  and  the  annual  payment  for 
the  temple-service,  x:32-37. 

(5)  Like  Ezra,  he  compelled  all  those  who  had 
married  foreign  wives  to  divorce  them,  xiii  11-3,  23- 
28.  Strict,  prompt,  uncompromising,  he  would  al- 
low no  relaxation  of  the  old  lasv,  no  departure  from 
the  old  ways,  no  consorting  with  foreigners.  He 
found  that  Tobiah  the  Ammonite,  was  livmg  m  one 


130  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

of  the  chambers  of  the  house  of  God  by  the  sanction 
ol  Eliashib,  the  guardian  of  the  temple,  and  forthwith 
Nehemiah  of  his  own  authority  turned  all  the  furni- 
ture into  the  street,  xiii:/,  8.  Ezra  was  the  ecclesi- 
astical reformer  of  his  times,  Nehemiah  the  civil. 
The  one  reorganized  the  priesthood,  the  other  soci- 
ety. Both  labored  untiringly  to  bring  back  the  re- 
turned captives  to  the  law  of  Moses,  and  the  prac- 
tice of  strict  Judaism.  What  is  most  striking  in 
these  books  is  the  intense  monotheism,  the  Jewish 
nationalism  which  would  have  nothing  to  do  even 
with  the  Samaritans. 

Results  of  the  captivity,  (i)  It  cured  the  Jews  of 
all  hankering  after  strange  gods.  They  returned  to 
their  land  with  deep  abhorrence  of  idol  worship, 
and  resumed  their  places  as  witnesses  to  the  su- 
preme and  sole  Deity  of  Jehovah.  To  this  day  they 
have  never  forgotten  the  lesson.  Into  whatever 
earthliness  and  blindness  of  heart  they  may  have 
fallen,  they  have  never  returned  to  the  idolatry  of 
Ahaz  and  Manasseh.  The  mother  of  idols,  Baby- 
lon, crushed  the  spirit  of  idolatry  in  Israel. 

(2)  The  restoration  did  not  set  Israel  in  the 
place  they  had  lost.  There  was  no  Shechinah  in 
the  Most  Holy  Place,  no  Urim  or  Thummim  with 
the  priest,  no  national  independence  as  formerly. 
They  were  subject  to  the  Persians,  the  Greeks,  the 
Romans,  who  finally  demolished  the  temple,  trod 
the  city  into  the  dust,  and  led  forth  the  people  into 
an  exile  which  still  endures.  From  the  return  from 
Babylon  to  the  appearing  of  the  Messiah  we  read  of 
no  miracle  or  miraculous  intervention  of  God.  In 
the  expressive  language  of  the  Epistle  to  the  He- 
brews the  dispensation  "was  waxing  old,  and  ready 


NEHEMIAH.  131 

to  perish,"  viii:i3.  God  might  visit  in  grace  and 
mercy,  as  we  know  He  did,  but  there  was  no  more 
the  visible  power  of  former  times.  When  an  econ- 
omy has  been  spoiled  and  ruined  by  man's  unfaith- 
fulness and  sin,  God  does  not  restore  it  to  its  origi- 
nal  purity  and  power;  He  removes  it  to  introduce 
something  better. 


182  OUTLIME   STUDIES. 


ESTHER. 

The  book  of  Esther  chronologically  falls  into  the 
interval  between  the  first  and  the  second  expedi- 
tions to  Jerusalem  from  Babylon,  a  period  embrac- 
ing about  eighty  years.  Ahashuerus'  reign  began 
in  B.  C.  486,  and  ended  in  B.  C.  465 — twenty-one 
years.  In  the  third  year  of  his  reign  the  events  nar- 
rated in  this  book  cornmenced.  The  book  is  anony- 
mous, but  it  must  have  been  written  not  long  after 
the  death  of  Ahashuerus — Rawlinson  thinks  within 
twenty  years  from  the  death  of  that  monarch.  It  is 
a  deeply  interesting  book,  one  of  the  inspired  com- 
mentaries on  God's  marvelous  providence. 

The  key-word  is  "Providence";  the  key-verse,  iv: 
14. 

I.  Principal  characters  of  the  book — dramatis  per- 
soncc : 

(i)  Ahashuerus.  No  doubt  this  is  the  Hebrew 
name  for  the  famous  Persian  king,  Xerxes.  KhsJiay- 
arsha  is  said  to  be  his  Persian  name;  and  the  simi- 
larity between  it  and  the  Hebrew  is  so  great  as  to 
be  almost  identical.  The  Greeks  turned  it  into 
Xerxes.  This  is  the  man  who  played  so  important 
a  part  in  Grecian  history;  who  marched  his  army 
against  Greece;  who  insanely  attempted  to  chain 
the  Hellespont,  and  madly  beat  the  sea  with  whips 
because  forsooth  it  broke  up  his  boats. 

(2)     Mordecai,  a  Jew  dwelling  at  Shushan  and  in- 


ESTHER.  133 

timate  at  court;  an  upright,  intelligent,  and  far- 
sighted  man,  to  whose  noble  heart  the  people  of  Is- 
rael were  very  dear.  He  was  of  the  family  of  Kish 
and  of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin.  He  was  the  first 
cousin  of  Esther,  whom  he  had  brought  up  as  his  own 
daughter.  Her  Hebrew  name  was  Hadassah,  Esther 
being  probably  Persian.  She  was  an  orphan,  and  a 
woman  not  only  of  great  beauty,  but  also  of  sa- 
gacity and  devotion.  Her  "woman's  wit"  was  more 
than  a  match  for  the  astute  and  malignant  Haman. 
(3)  Haman  was  a  high  officer  at  the  court  of 
Xerxes,  was  possessed  of  princely  wealth,  v:  11,  stood 
nearest  the  throne,  was  entrusted  with  the  king's 
signet-ring,  and  had  the  power  of  life  and  death 
over  the  subjects  of  the  empire,  iii:i,  10-12.  But 
withal  he  was  a  man  of  utmost  vanity,  blindest  prej- 
udices, and  capable  of  the  deadliest  enmity;  a  time- 
serving, selfish,  implacable,  swaggering  bully,  a  man 
whose  mind  was  covered  over  at  the  top  so  as  to 
shut  out  all  lofty  aspirations,  and  closed  in  at  the 
sides  so  as  to  shut  out  all  kindness,  and  open  only 
at  the  bottom  for  the  incoming  of  base  passions, 
pride,  haughtiness  and  hate.  Singular,  when  all  the 
world  was  bowing  down  to  him,  Haman  would  go 
home  to  boast  of  his  riches,  his  children,  his  high 
standing  with  the  king  and  queen,  and  yet  wind  up 
the  list  of  his  successes  with  the  doleful  note,  "Yet 
all  this  availeth  me  nothing  so  long  as  I  see  Mor- 
decai,  the  Jew,  sitting  at  the  king's  gate;"  supremely 
unhappy  because  one  poor  man  refused  to  stand  up 
with  turban  in  his  hand  as  he  passed  in  and  out  of 
the  palace-gate.  Haman  was  an  Agagite,  probably 
a  descendant  of  Amalek;  and  being  such  Mordecai 
could  not  pay  him  homage,  Ex.  xvii:i6. 


134  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

2.  The  desic^n  of  the  book  is  to  show  God's  prov- 
idential care  of  His  people.  It  also  illustrates  the 
nature  and  ways  of  Divine  Providence.  Multitudes 
of  Jews  remained  in  the  region  of  Babylon  after  the 
publication  of  Cyrus'  decree  for  the  return  to  Judea. 
They  had  been  born  and  reared  there  and  would  not 
exchange  it  even  for  Jerusalem.  The  same  God  who 
watched  over  the  builders  of  the  temple  and  the 
walls  of  the  holy  city  also  guarded  these  stranger 
Jews  in  the  one  hundred  and  twenty  provinces  of 
Ahashuerus'  empire,  and  this  book  is  the  record  of 
His  care  for  them.  "No  weapon  that  is  formed 
against  thee"  is  the  lesson  it  teaches.  It  is  an  in- 
spired commentary  on  the  great  promise,  "  I  will 
not  fail  nor  forsake  thee,"  Deu.  xxxi:6;  Heb.  xiii:£;. 
Note  some  of  the  characteristic  features. 

3.  Providence  is  secret,  mysterious,  and  even 
unintelligible  until  its  ends  are  revealed.  One  pe- 
culiarity of  the  book  is  that  the  name  of  God  is  not 
found  in  it.  In  this  it  differs  from  all  other  portions 
of  the  word  of  God.  Even  the  shortest  Psalm  has 
it.  "The  author  avoids,  as  if  by  design,  the  name  of 
God,"  writes  Ewald.  And  yet  there  are  few  parts 
of  Scripture  where  He  is  more  obviously  present 
than  in  this.  There  must  be  a  reason  for  this  omission 
of  the  name,  (i)  The  Jews'  relation  to  God.  They 
were  out  of  the  land  of  promise  and  of  the  covenant, 
and  were  in  that  of  the  stranger;  they  held  no  longer 
any  position  owned  of  God.  So  God  acts  toward 
them  in  accordance  with  the  facts.  He  stands  at  a 
distance  from  them,  as  we  may  say;  does  not  show 
Himself  openly;  watches  over  them  from  afar,  and 
in  a  nameless  way;  and  therefore,  characteristically, 
His  name  does   not   appear   in   this   book    just   as 


ESTHER.  135 

He  Himself  is  not  seen  in  open  interposition  in  their 
behalf.     Infinite  goodness  delivers  them,  but  in  a 
way  in  exact  accordance  with  the  relation  they  sus- 
tain to  Him.     But  this   is  likewise   the   distinctive 
feature  of  Providence  in  the  broadest  sense.     It  is 
mysterious,  nameless,  often   paradoxical  and  inex- 
plicable; yet  to  faith  the  finger  of  God  is  visible  in 
every  event.   His  hand  is  discovered  in  the  strange 
weaving  that  goes  on.      Men  and  women  appear  to 
be  the  chief  actors  in  this  drama:  Ahashuerus,Vashti, 
Esther,  Mordecai,  Haman  and  the  rest,  these  are  the 
prominent  figures;  these  seem  to  be  doing  all  that 
is  done.      But  back  of  the  screen  there  stands  One 
who  is  infinitely  wise  and  loving  and  patient,  who 
guides  all   things  for   the  accomplishment  of    His 
glorious  purposes,  and  for  the  good  of  His  people. 
His  name  is  not  mentioned,  as  He   Himself  is  not 
seen  save  as  faith  discovers  Him;  yet  in  all  that  oc- 
curs He  is  present.     We  live  in  a  world  governed 
by  a  system  of  laws  invariable  and  constant,  so  we 
are  told.     Doubtless.     But  back  of  all   law,  natural 
or  otherwise,  One  is  who   upholds  and  controls  all, 
and  uses  them  for  His  glory,  Heb.  1:3.      Here  is  a 
great  manufactory.   Thousands  of  spindles  are  twirl- 
ing,   numberless  wheels   and   shafts  and   belts   are 
revolving;  men  and  women  run  here  and  there,  re- 
ceiving the  finished  material,  supplying  the  machin- 
ery with  fresh.     Who  turns  all  that  vast  and  com- 
plicated mechanism?     Itself?    The  men  and  women 
attending  it?  No.     Outside,  in  the  little  brick  build- 
ing pulses  and  throbs  the  strong  engine  that  moves 
all  within.     Who  shape  and  guide  the  events  of  the 
world?      Statesmen,  politicians,  armies?     Only  in  a 
very  subordinate  way.     Every  wheel  and  screw,  ev- 


136  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

cry  shaft,  pivot  and  belt  in  the  complicated  machin- 
ery of  human  affairs  is  under  the  hand  of  Him, 
who  is  unseen  and  nameless,  and  yet  who  controls 
and  conducts  all  things  according  to  His  sovereign 
will.  Nevertheless,  He  seems  to  stand  apart  from 
them,  and  at  a  distance.  It  is  appropriate,  there- 
fore, that  in  a  book  devoted  to  the  elucidation  of 
God's  mysterious  providence  His  name  should  be 
omitted. 

(2)  Another  characteristic  is,  attention  to  minutia 
and  detail.  Providence  in  this  book  takes  up  the 
little  things,  the  trifles  as  men  name  them,  and  out 
of  these  works  its  far-reaching  aims.  Out  of  the 
whim  of  Ahashuerus  during  his  great  feast  the  queen 
Vashti  was  set  aside,  and  Esther,  the  orphan  Jewess, 
chosen  in  her  stead,  i,  ii.  A  sleepless  night  on  the 
part  of  the  king  led  to  the  consultation  of  the  court 
journals  and  the  discovery  of  Modecai's  fidelity 
whereby  the  king's  life  had  been  saved,  which 
brought  him  into  royal  favor  and  set  him  in  a  posi- 
tion effectively  to  counteract  and  checkmate  the 
cruel  plots  of  the  enemy,  Haman,  against  the  Jews, 
vi.  In  its  marvelous  unfoldings.  Providence  never 
neglects  what  men  may  be  disposed  to  regard  as 
things  of  no  moment.  It  takes  up  the  details,  the 
minutia,  the  shreds  and  ravelings  of  life,  and  it 
combines  and  twists  them  together  into  a  mighty 
cable  by  which  irresistibly  the  purposes  of  God  are 
drawn  forwr^.rd  and  accomplished.  All  revolutions, 
changes,  achievements  whatsoever,  greatest  and 
smallest,  which  the  world  has  ever  beheld,  have 
often,  in  the  course  of  their  genesis,  depended  on 
the  merest  trifles,  on  the  turning  of  straws,  we 
might  say. 


ESTHER.  137 

It  is  the  delight  of  the  historian  to  trace  the  start- 
ing-point of  the  French  revolution  to  the  cast  of  a 
camp  kettle  over  the  head  of  a  Marquis  Riqucti  as 
he  lay  wounded  on  a  bridge  at  the  battle  of  Cosano. 
That  marquis,  thus  saved  from  death,  became  the 
grandfather  of  the  fiery  Mirabeau  who  was  the 
prime  leader  in  the  movement  which  culminated  in 
the  horrors  of  the  Revolution,  It  was  the  flight  of 
birds  from  north  toward  the  south  which  turned  the 
prows  of  Columbus'  little  ships  to  the  southern  half 
of  the  western  hemisphere,  and  which  led  ultimately 
to  the  settlement  of  that  section  of  the  world  by  the 
peoples  of  the  Latin  race.  God's  Providence  meant 
that  this  northern  continent  should  be  reserved  for 
a  very  different  people,  a  Protestant  people,  with  an 
open  Bible,  and  with  church  and  state  completely 
separated.  History  is  filled  with  similar  instances  of 
the  very  greatest  and  most  far-reaching  consequences 
following  small  divergences  at  the  starting-point. 
As  with  nations  so  with  the  individual. 

Many  a  one's  whole  life-current  has  been  changed 
by  a  trivial  circumstance;  by  going  around  the 
square  of  a  city  in  one  direction  rather  than  in  an- 
other, by  meeting  casually  with  another  whose 
words  exert  a  lasting  influence. 

(3)  The  intelligence  and  wisdom  of  Providence 
is  another  feature  which  the  book  reveals.  P^ate  is 
blind.  Providence  has  eyes.  Fatalism  says,  What- 
ever is,  must  be.  Providence  says,  Whatever  God 
ordains  must  be;  but  God  never  ordains  anything 
without  a  benevolent  purpose.  Esther  strikingly  il- 
lustrates all  this.  We  see  how  exactly  God  adjusts 
everything  to  accomplish  His  will.  Queen  Esther 
comes  to  the  throne  for  just  such  a  time  of  distress 


138  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

and  exigency  as  that  through  which  the  Jews  were 
to  pass,  iv:i4,  i6.  Sleep  is  taken  from  Ahashuerus 
at  precisely  the  right  time,  vi:i-3.  A  day  sooner  or 
a  day  later  might  have  been  fatal.  Mordecai  is 
brought  into  prominence  at  the  right  juncture,  vi:io- 
13.  On  the  thirteenth  day  of  the  first  month  the  lot 
was  cast  by  the  superstitious  Haman  for  the  slaugh- 
ter of  the  innocent  people  of  Mordecai;  and  it  fixed 
the  day  of  execution  on  the  thirteenth  of  the  twelfth 
month,  one  year  hence.  God  ordered  it  so  that  suf- 
ficient time  should  intervene,  that  there  might  be 
ample  opportunity  for  counteraction  and  ultimate 
deliverance,  iii:7;  viii:9-i7;  ix:i,  2. 

4.     Alleged  difficulties.     Some  have  objected  to  the 
contents    of   Esther  as    improbable.      It   has   been 
said  that  it  is   unlikely    that   the  Persian   monarch 
would  issue  an  order  for  the  destruction  of  the  Jews, 
and  afterward  a  counter-order  authorizing  them  to 
slay  their  enemies,  his  own  subjects.      But   if  it  be 
true   as  related  by  an  ancient  historian    (Diodorus 
Siculus),  that  Xerxes  put  the  Medians    forward  at 
Thermopylae  that  they  might  be  all   killed  because 
he  believed  they  were  not  reconciled  to  the  loss  of 
their  national  supremacy,   it  is  surely  not  incredible 
that  he  should  grant  permission  to  his  chief  officer 
to  destroy  strangers  who  were  represented  as  danger- 
•ous  to  the  well-being  of  the  state.      Besides,  we  are 
to  remember  that  the  events  of  the  book  transpired 
after  the  disastrous  expedition  to  Greece.     Xerxes, 
wc  may  well  believe,  was  exasperated  with  the  re- 
sult, and   in  no   humor  to  show   clemency.     Haman 
insinuated  that  vast  revenues  would  flow   into  the 
king's  treasury  from  the  plundered  Jews,  and  in  the 
exhausted   condition  of  the  finances  the  plot  must 


ESTHER.  139 

have  commended  itself  to  the  king  of  the  Persians. 
Furthermore,  we  mi^  remember  that  the  stupid 
custom  of  the  Medes  and  Persians  as  to  the  irre- 
versible nature  of  a  royal  decree  still  prevailed,  and 
Xerxes  himself,  ^toc^t  as  he  was,  could  not  annul 
it.  The  only  thing  to  be  done  was  to  authorize  the 
Jews  to  defend  themselves,  and  this  the  king  did. 
The  feast  of  Purim,  instituted  at  the  time,  became  a 
national  observance,  and  has  remained  to  this  day  as 
the  most  cherished  of  Jewish  usages,  and  is  proof 
of  the  integrity  and  validity  of  the  book. 


140  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 


JOB. 

The  book  of  Job  is  one  of  the  noblest  poems  in 
existence.  The  splendor  of  imagery  which  glows 
on  every  page;  the  personages  introduced  into  it; 
the  mysterious  problems  which  it  discusses;  the  ac- 
tion which  sweeps  through  every  emotion  of  the 
soul  and  strikes  every  chord  of  the  human  heart, 
invest  the  book  with  peculiar  interest. 

"The  key-word  is  "Chastisement;"  the  key-verse, 
xxxiv:3i,  32. 

It  is  anonymous.  It  has  been  ascribed  to  Job 
himself,  to  Elihu,  to  Solomon,  Ezra,  Moses  and 
others.  The  question  of  its  authorship  can  never  be 
finally  settled.  There  is  something  very  attractive 
in  the  view  that  while  Moses  was  sojourning  in 
Midian  he  came  in  contact  with  those  who  told  of 
Job's  great  trial  and  of  his  happy  deliverance,  and 
that  he  wrote  this  majestic  poem;  but  we  cannot 
verify  it.  The  anonymous  character  of  the  book, 
however,  does  not  invalidate  it.  The  authorship  of 
Esther  and  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  is  un- 
known, yet  their  canonicity  is  not  questioned. 

I.  Is  Job  a  real  or  fictitious  character?  The  actual 
existence  of  the  patriarch  has  been  denied  by  many. 
Rabbi  Maimonides,  of  the  twelfth  century,  appears 
to  have  been  the  first  to  advance  this  notion.  In 
current    literature   one    meets  with   it   almost   con- 


JOB.  141 

stantly.  We  hold  that  the  contents  of  this  book 
are  veritable  history.  The  extreme  circumstantiality 
of  the  details;  the  description  of  Job,  of  his  family 
and  friends,  with  their  names  and  special  desig- 
nations, his  country,  property,  and  many  other 
points  of  the  like  nature,  mark  the  history  rather 
than  fiction.  Besides,  the  Bible  itself  settles  this 
matter  for  all  who  receive  it  as  God's  Word.  The 
prophet  Ezekiel  dissociates  him  with  Noah  and  Dan- 
iel, in  a  way  to  make  his  identity  as  real  as  those 
other  servants  of  God,  Ezek.  xiv:i4,  20.  If  Daniel 
and  Noah  were  persons,  then  was  Job  also,  Jas.  v: 
11;  "Ye  have  heard  of  the  patience  of  Job,  and 
have  seen  the  end  of  the  Lord;  that  the  Lord  is  very 
pitiful,  and  of  tender  mercy."  That  reference  would 
be  wholly  without  point,  and  an  impeachment  of 
the  apostle's  inspiration  if  Job  were  mythical. 

2.  The  age  in  which  Job  lived.  Usher's  chronology 
fixes  it  at  B.  C.  1520,  twenty-nine  years  before  the 
Exodus.  But  if  the  book  were  contemporary  with 
the  deliverance  from  Egypt,  we  might  expect  some 
reference  to  the  events  connected  therewith,  and 
more  particularly  in  a  debate  in  which  human  suf- 
fering, and  God's  providence  are  the  theme.  Silence 
here  is  inexplicable.  That  Job  lived  in  patriarchal 
times  is  very  probable.  He  survived  his  sore  trial 
one  hundred  and  forty  years,  xlii:i6.  Re  must  have 
been  of  considerable  age  when  the  trial  began,  for 
he  was  the  father  of  ten  children,  seven  sons  and 
three  daughters,  i:2.  He  could  be  hardly  less  than 
fifty  when  the  reverses  came  upon  him;  and  his  en- 
tire life  must  have  been  about  two  hundred  years. 
Men  had  ceased  long  before  the  time  of  Moses  to 
live  to  this  age.      Terah  lived  two  hundred  and  five 


14:2  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

years;  Abraham,  one  hundred  and  seventy-five; 
Tsaac,  one  hundred  and  eighty;  Jacob,  one  hundred 
and  forty-seven;  Joseph,  one  hundred  and  ten; 
Moses,  one  hundred  and  twenty.  Job  must  have 
lived  nearer  to  Abraham  than  to  Moses;  and  this 
book  was  composed  probably  long  before  the  first 
book  of  Moses;  and  so  is  no  doubt  the  oldest  record 
in  the  world.  The  sacrifice  which  Job  offered  for 
his  children  is  patriarchal,  combining  with  it  the  es- 
sential idea  of  the  sin-offering,  and  he  acts  as  the 
priest,  being  the  head  of  his  family,  as  was  the  com- 
mon practice  of  the  patriarchs.  From  the  four  con- 
stellations mentioned  in  xxxviii:3i,  32,  three  mathe- 
maticians have  computed  that  Job's  trial  took  place 
about  B.  C.  2100.  There  may  be  error,  of  course,  in 
these  calculations,  as  it  is  confessedly  difficult  to 
identify  the  constellations  mentioned  in  the  chap- 
ter* still,  it  is  remarkable  that  three  independent 
and  scholarly  investigators  should  arrive  at  about 
the  same  results,  there  being  only  forty-two  years 
difference  between  them. 

2.  Structure  of  the  book.  It  consists  of  three  parts: 
Part  I.,  Introductory  narrative  in  prose,  chapters  i, 
ii.  Part  II.,  The  poem,  iii-xlii:6.  Part  III.,  Con- 
cluding narrative  in  prose,  xlii:7-T7. 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  poem  is  very  regular 
and  simple  in  form.  Its  order  is  natural  through- 
out.  And  yet  it  is  replete  with  art  the  most  subtle 
and  attractive.  With  admirable  skill  and  wonderful 
force  the  problem  is  introduced,  the  frightful  dis- 
proportion of  happiness  and  misery  in  this  world. 
The  sad  plight  of  Job,  the  dreadful  losses  he  sus- 
tains, the  horrible  disease  which  consumes  his  flesh 
and  racks  his  frame,  the  agonizing  wail  he  at  length 


JOB.  143 

pours  forth,  the  dark  questions  that  haunt  his  mind, 
the  black  doubts  that  assail  his  faith,  the  gulf  of  in- 
fidelity that  yawns  to  receive  him— these  in  awful 
grandeur  are  set  before  the  three  philosophers  with 
masterly  hand.  And  the  philosophers  are  utterly 
powerless  to  grapple  with  the  problem.  After  three 
speeches  each,  save  Zophar,  who  speaks  but  twice, 
they  succumb  and  are  silent.  Then  follow  the  splen- 
did monologues  of  Elihu,  who,  although  he  goes  far 
toward  answering  the  questions  and  solving  the 
problem,  leaves  it  still  in  doubt  and  darkness.  But 
his  addresses  prepare  the  way  for  the  appearing  of 
the  Lord  on  the  scene,  who  speaks,  sets  Job  right, 
and  full  blessing  ensues. 

4.  Designof  the  book.  It  is  threefold,  i.  To  re- 
fute the  slander  of  Satan.  2.  To  discuss  the  ques- 
tion of  human  suffering,  and  particularly  the  suffer- 
ing of  the  righteous.  3.  To  reveal  Job  to  himself, 
and  remove  the  self-righteousness  which  prevented 
the  full  measure  of  blessing  which  God  had  in  store 
for  him. 

5.  Job's  happy  estate,  i:i-5;  xxix.  It  is  clear  enough 
from  these  sections  of  the  book  that  he  was  wealthy, 
influential,  devout,  benevolent,  and  highly  esteemed 
— in  short,  a  mighty  Sheik  in  the  land  of  Uz. 

Touching  his  nationality  little  is  known.  There 
is  no  account  of  his  ancestry,  no  mention  of  his 
parentage.  We  only  know  that  he  belonged  to  the 
great  Shemitic  family  to  which  almost  all  God's 
revelations  have  been  made.  He  comes  before  us 
in  mature  manhood,  whence  no  one  knows  (even 
the  location  of  Uz  is  conjectural):  he  disappears  in 
the  grave  when  his  fitful  life  with  its  strange  vicissi- 
tudes is  over.   This  is  characteristic.     It  is  the  prob- 


144  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

lem  God  keeps  before  us — the  mystery  of  Provi- 
dence, the  malice  of  Satan,  the  good  enclosed  in 
suffering.  These  he  would  have  us  see,  not  the  man 
so  much. 

Job's  prosperity  for  a  time  was  uninterrupted.  In 
his  own  striking  imagery,  "I  washed  my  steps  with 
butter,  and  the  rock  poured  me  out  rivers  of  oil." 
His  personal  character  is  thus  described:  "And 
that  man  was  perfect  and  upright  and  one  that 
feared  God  and  eschewed  evil,"  in,  8.  He  was  hon- 
est and  straightforward  and  sincere  in  his  guileless- 
ness.  No  duplicity  either  toward  God  or  man  was 
found  in  him.  In  his  solicitude  for  his  children  and 
in  his  kindness  and  helpfulness  to  all  about  him,  the 
genuineness  of  his  piety  was  exhibited.  He  was 
happy  in  his  relationship  with  God,  happy  in  his 
family,  possessed  of  princely  wealth,  loved  and 
trusted  by  his  fellows — in  short,  the  most  powerful 
Sheik  in  the  East.  But  in  a  day  his  joy  fled,  his 
prosperity  blighted,  his  children  cold  in  death,  him- 
self smitten  with  pain  and  anguish  beyond  the  lot  of 
men.  What  is  the  meaning  of  the  dreadful  reverses 
which  befell  him?  This  leads  us  to  the  contempla- 
tion of  one  of  the  main  designs  of  the  book. 

6.  Satan  s  slander  against  Job,  i:9-ii;  ii:4,  5.  The 
singular  spectacle  is  presented  of  the  Prince  of 
.Darkness  appearing  in  the  train  of  the  Most  High. 
But  Satan  is  there  for  a  definite  purpose,  viz.,  to  ac- 
cuse and  malign.  Rev.  xii:io.  One  question  he 
starts,  as  full  of  subtlety  as  of  malice:  "Doth 
Job  serve  for  naught?"  *  Is  not  the  allegiance  which 
receives  such  direct  and  tangible  rewards  only  a  re- 
fined form  of  selfishness?  His  fealty  is  mercenary, 
his  attachment  is   for  hire;'  "he  serveth   not   God, 


JOB.  145 

but  himself  upon  God."  And  Satan  boldly  asserts 
that  if  these  external  blessings  were  withdrawn, 
Job's  allegiance  would  be  cast  off— *'he  will  curse 
thee  to  thy  face."  One  main  feature  of  the  prob- 
lem which  the  book  discusses  is  thus  distinctly  pro- 
pounded: Can  goodness  exist  irrespective  of  re- 
ward? Can  the  fear  of  God  live  when  every  induce- 
ment is  withdrawn?  Is  allegiance  to  God  based  on 
the  love  and  knowledge  of  Him,  or  does  it  exist 
only  for  the  advantages  it  secures,  the  immunities 
it  enjoys?  The  problem  is  one  of  infinite  moment; 
for  if  the  love  and  grace  of  God  only  serve  to  pro- 
duce a  refined  selfishness,  then  His  whole  work  is 
abortive,  and  God  is  unable  to  retrieve  the  ruin  of 
sin. 

There  was  no  method  by  which  these  slanderous 
accusations  could  be  more  effectively  silenced  than 
by  the  removal  of  those  things  on  which  the  ad- 
versary asserted  Job's  fidelity  depended.  And 
so  the  servant  of  God  was  tested  to  the  uttermost. 
The  trial  was  twofold.  First,  his  wealth  and  his 
children  were  suddenly  snatched  away  from  him. 
The  book  clearly  teaches  that  it  was  through  Satanic 
agency,  in  the  mysterious  government  of  God,  that 
these  dreadful  losses  were  sustained.  But  out  of 
this  furnace  Job  issues  without  the  smell  of  fire  on 
his  garments,  i:2i.  22;  "In  all  this,  Job  sinned  not, 
nor  charged  God  foolishly."  In  this  assault  Satan 
was  forbidden  to  touch  Job's  person,  1:12.  He  next 
affirms  that  Job  will  give  up  all  for  his  life,  ii:4. 
That  this  is  also  a  lie,  the  devil  knows  perfectly 
well.  Myriads  of  God's  dear  people  have  gone  to 
the  worst  forms  of  death  for  the  name  and  the  love 
of  Christ.     Permission,  however,  is  given,  up  to  the 


146  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

point  only  this  side  of  death,  and  he  is  smitten  with 
a  loathsome  disease — elephantiasis  it  is  thought  to 
have  been,  a  disease  believed  by  many  in  the  East 
to  be  the  judgment  of  God.  The  patriarch  sat 
down  on  the  ash-heap  in  unspeakable  desolation, 
anguish  and  woe,  bereft  of  property,  children, 
health;  his  wife,  advising  him  to  renounce  the  God 
whom  he  had  served  so  long.  Will  he  finally  break 
with  God?  Is  there  anything  left  to  keep  him 
faithful?  Blessed  be  God  for  sustaining  and  con- 
quering grace!  Out  of  the  final  trial  Job  comes 
forth  triumphantly:  **In  all  this  did  not  Job  sin 
with  his  lips,"  ii:iO. 

It  is  proved,  therefore,  once  for  all,  and  never 
more  to  be  disputed,  that  Job's  loyalty  is  not 
grounded  in  selfishness,  that  true  piety  lives  when 
all  external  advantages  are  withdrawn,  and  that 
God's  grace  is  more  than  a  match  for  Satan's  malice 
and  the  deep-rooted  egotism  of  sin.  Thus,  one 
prime  object  of  the  book  stands  disclosed.  But 
God  had  other  and  greater  ends  in  the  sufferings  of 
his  servant,  which  will  appear  in  the  sequel.  It  was 
not  needful  to  send  Job  to  such  a  terrible  school  of 
affliction  merely  to  prove  the  Devil  a  liar.  He  was 
that  from  the  beginning,  Jno.  viii:44.  There  must 
be  ulterior  designs. 

7.  Let  the  reader  note  how  prominent  Satan  is 
in  the  earlier  chapters  of  the  book.  We  know  that 
he  was  the  real  instigator  of  Job's  woes.  Probably 
the  patriarch  himself  did  not;  and  so  all  the  more 
inexplicable  and  mysterious  his  sufferings  must 
have  appeared  to  him  and  his  friends,  the  comfort- 
ers. Now,  some  things  respecting  this  great  Evil 
Spirit  we  gather  from  this  inspired  record,     (i)  His 


JOB.  147 

personality.  Satan  is  no  myth.  Every  attribute, 
quality,  action,  mark,  and  sign  which  can  indicate 
personality,  are  ascribed  to  him  with  a  precision  of 
language  which  refuses  to  be  explained  away.  If 
we  attempt  to  interpret  this  and  the  like  Scripture 
as  only  meaning  the  principle  of  evil  and  not  a  per- 
son, then  there  is  an  end  to  all  rules  of  fixed 
thought,  and  the  Bible  may  mean  anything  and  ev- 
erything we  please.  (2)  His  power.  It  is  simply 
tremendous.  He  brought  fire  from  heaven  to  con- 
sume the  sheep  [electricity];  the  storm  fr^m  the 
desert,  which  crushed  the  house  where  the  young 
people  were  feasting:  i.  e.,  he  can,  when  permitted, 
wield  the  forces  of  nature  for  the  accomplishment  of 
his  wicked  designs.  (3)  His  enmity  is  even  greater 
than  his  power.  He  pursues  his  evil  ends  with  tire- 
less energy  and  sleepless  vigilance.  (4)  Still,  he  is 
subordinate.  He  can  afflict  only  so  far  and  when 
God  for  inscrutable  purposes  permits  him.  There 
was  a  ''hedge"  about  Job  through  which  Satan 
could  not  break.  No  doubt,  like  the  lion  he  is,  i 
Pet.  v:8,  he  travelled  round  and  round  that  hedge, 
but  always  on  the  outside.  "  He  can  go  only  the 
length  of  his  chain." 

It  is  noteworthy  that  nearly  all  the  revelation  we 
have  of  this  great  evil  spirit  is  found  in  the  New 
Testament.  Rarely  is  he  mentioned  in  the  Old  in 
Eden,  in  Job,  David,  Joshua  the  High  Priest.  God 
delayed  the  full  disclosure  of  him  to  later  times,  and 
then  gave  him  twenty-eight  names  which  fully  de- 
scribe him. 

The  other  great  features  of  the  poem  are  now  to 
be  pointed  out.  These  are  two:  The  meaning  of 
human   suffering,  particularly  the  suffering   of   the 


148  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

righteous;  and  the  revelation  of  Job  to  himself. 
The  first  is  the  theme  of  the  great  Debate,  chapters 
iv,  xxxi.  The  second  is  traceable  through  the  en- 
tire poem  from  chapter  iii  to  chapter  xlii,  and  is 
this:  that  the  patriarch,  with  all  his  pre-eminent  ex- 
cellencies, secretly  cherished  and  probably  unwit- 
tingly cherished,  somewhat  of  self-righteousness,  a 
kind  of  religious  pride  which  marred  his  lovely  char- 
acter and  hindered  the  blessing  God  would  bestow 
upon  him;  and  this,  cost  what  it  might,  must  be  cut 
up  by  the  roots. 

Many  a  citadel  is  proof  against  assault  which  yet 
may  be  obliged  to  succumb  to  the  slow  and  steady 
progress  of  a  siege.  The  first  onset  of  pain  is  not 
so  formidable  as  its  protracted  endurance.  Job  is 
now  in  this  stage,  the  worst  of  all.  Day  after  day 
he  is  compelled  to  drag  his  weary  burden,  how  long 
we  know  not.  Some  time  elapsed  between  the  first 
wild  outburst  of  trouble  and  the  arrival  of  his 
friends. 

The  comforters  were  men  of  experience  and  w^is- 
dom,  and  profoundly  religious.  Piety  and  the  fear 
of  the  Lord  breathe  throughout  all  their  discourses. 
They  cherished  the  kindliest  feelings  toward  their 
stricken  friend,  and  had  come  expressly  to  minister 
to  his  wounded  spirit,  ii:ii-i3.  Their  visit,  their  sit- 
ting with  him  in  silence  for  seven  days  with  torn 
garments  and  dust  on  their  heads,  prove  the  sin- 
cerity of  their  sympathy.  Nevertheless,  their  pres- 
ence only  served  to  exasperate  him,  and  aggravate 
his  misery. 

I.  Job's  first  monologue,  iii.  It  is  unexampled  for 
its  expression  of  anguish  and  for  its  pathos.  What 
language   is  there,  and  what  imagery?      He  curses 


JOB.  149 

his  birthday,  and  hurls  anathemas  upon  his  life; 
asks  that  God  may  expunge  that  day  from  His  cal- 
endar of  time,  that  it  may  be  frightened  with  hor- 
rible sounds,  and  chased  forever  by  devouring  death, 
that  in  eternity  it  may  be  a  sunless  day  and  a  star- 
less night.  A  similar  instance  of  the  effect  of  accu- 
mulated sorrows  is  found  in  the  life  of  Jeremiah,  xx: 
14-18.  It  does  not  appear  that  the  friends  had  ut- 
tered a  word.  Job  opened  the  dialogue.  They  sat 
in  total  silence,  covered  with  dust,  gazing  on  a  grief 
too  profound  for  them  to  reach.  As  we  read  these 
utterances,  choked  with  passion  and  with  tears,  we 
feel  that  Job  had  very  imperfectly  learned  to  say, 
'^•Thy  will  be  done."  He  broke  down  in  the  very 
thing  for  which  he  was  noted — patience.  But  let  us 
remember  Job  did  not  know  himself.  He  was  com- 
placently resting  in  his  "integrity,"  which  is  another 
name  for  self-righteousness.  There  was  a  root  of  bit- 
terness in  him  of  which  he  seems  to  have  been  ignor- 
ant, but  which  must  be  eradicated.  He  had  to  learn 
the  lesson  to  which  all  the  saints  are  set  down,  viz., 
that  the  egotism  of  nature  is  offensive  to  God;  that 
there  is  no  confidence  to  be  put  in  the  flesh.  And  so, 
one  aim  of  the  book  is  to  reveal  Job  to  himself,  and 
thus  deliver  hiin  from  the  evil  his  afflictions  were 
meant  to  remove.  But  let  it  be  remembered  that  he 
curses  his  day,  not  his  God,  as  Satan  would  have  him 
do.  He  curses  the  day  of  his  natural  birth,  not  the  day 
ot  his  new  birth.  Amid  all  his  doubts  and  darkness 
never  for  a  moment  does  his  faith  in  God  waver— 
•'Though  he  slay  me,  yet  will  I  trust  in  Him,"  is  his 
magnificent  resolution. 

2      The  debate.     It  consists  of  three  rounds.    Each 
of  the  three   philosophers  speaks  three  times,  save 


150  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

Zophar,  who  speaks  but  twice,  and  Job  replies  to 
each  in  succession,  chapters  iv,  xxxi. 

The  first  round,  chapters  iv,  xiv.  The  question  is 
propounded  by  Eliphaz  very  skillfully  and  strongly, 
iv,  V.  God  blesses  the  just,  punishes  the  unjust. 
The  proposition  of  Eliphaz  is  this:  He  that  sins 
must  suffer;  as  Job  is  a  dreadful  sufferer,  he  must 
be  guilty  of  some  grievous  sin.  Job  replies,  vi,  vii, 
complaining  that  there  is  no  adequate  cause  for  his 
afflictions,  that  God  treats  him  as  if  an  irrational 
being,  a  sea  or  a  sea-monster.  His  plaint  resembles 
that  of  chapter  iii,  only  more  subdued  and  humble. 
Bildad  follows  in  the  same  strain  of  Eliphaz,  viii. 
"If  thou  wert  pure  and  upright,  surely  now  he 
would  awake  for  thee;"  and  since  He  does  not, 
something  must  be  frightfully  wrong.  Job  stoutly 
resists  the  imputation,  and  appeals  to  God,  who 
knows  that  he  is  not  wicked,  as  charged,  ix,  x. 
Zophar  urges  that  he  is  certainly  guilty,  and  exhorts 
him  to  repentance,  xi.  Job's  reply,  xii-xiv,  is  re- 
markable. He  shows  how  the  wicked  often  prosper, 
how  God  does  as  He  pleases  with  great  and  small, 
and  appeals  from  them  to  God. 

In  the  second  round,  chapters  xv-xxi,  the  com- 
forters increase  in  the  severity  of  their  tone,  and 
urge  with  considerable  vehemence  that  it  is  the 
wicked  who  are  scourged,  not  the  righteous,  and 
assail  the  integrity  of  Job,  intimating  broadly 
that  he  is  guilty  of  some  secret  sin,  some  colossal 
crime.  Zophar,  the  most  impetuous  and  severe  of 
all,  insinuates  that  there  is  hypocrisy  in  the  case, 
that  God  has  at  length  torn  the  mask  from  the  false 
face  and  he  now  stands  revealed  in  his  true  charac- 
ter.    The    patriarch    refutes    the  reasoning,    proves 


JOB.  151 

that  the  wicked  often  grow  old  and  prosper,  that 
apparently  God  treats  the  good  and  the  bad  alike 
in  this  life,  and  the  dark  doubts  which  the  Psalmist 
felt  (Ps.  Ixxiii),  haunt  and  harass  his  mind.  With 
righteous  indignation  he  flings  from  him  the  unworthy 
innuendos  of  the  comforters  and  accuses  them  of 
intensifying  his  misery.  After  giving  his  wonderful 
confession  of  faith,  xix:25-28,  he  points  his  argu- 
ment with  these  telling  words:  "But  ye  should 
say,  Why  persecute  we  him?  seeing  the  root  of  the 
matter  is  in  me.     Be  afraid  of  the  sword." 

In  the  third  round,  chapters  xxii-xxvi,  the  com- 
forters are  turned  into  headlong  accusers.  Invec- 
tive now  takes  the  place  of  calm  reasoning;  and 
Job  instead  of  getting  better  grows  worse,  and  even 
yearns  to  appear  before  the  throne  of  God,  declaring 
that  if  he  could  do  so  he  would  order  his  cause 
before  him,  and  fill  his  mouth  with  arguments, 
xxiii:3,  4.  "Job's  disputing  with  God  is  as  terrible 
as  it  is  pitiable.  It  is  terrible,  because  he  uplifts 
himself.  Titan-like,  against  God;  and  pitiable, 
because  the  God  against  whom  he  fights,  is  not  the 
God  he  has  known,  but  a  phantom  which  his  temp- 
tation has  presented  to  his  dim  vision." 

3.  The  cause  of  the  failure  of  the  disputatits.  The 
mistake  of  the  comforters  was  this:  they  insisted 
that  God  was  dealing  with  Job  rctributivdy. 
They  labored  to  convict  him  of  high-handed  wick- 
edness. They  hint  again  and  again  that  if  all  were 
told  nothing  would  be  too  bad  to  impute  to  him. 
'•  Who  ever  perished  being  innocent,  and  when  were 
the  righteous  cut  off?"  is  the  foundation  of  their 
reasoning.  They  totally  failed  to  discover  the  true 
cause  for  his  suffering.      They  applied  many  prmci- 


152  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

pies  of  the  moral  government  of  God  to  the  wrong 
case;  and  hence  their  argument  only  served  to 
exasperate  him.  No  wonder  he  reproached  them 
for  their  cruelty,  and  in  the  bitterness  of  an  insulted 
character  and  wounded  spirit,  covered  them  with 
scorn  and  contempt.  Nor  was  Job  less  wrong.  He 
insisted  that  God  acted  arbitrarily ;  that  having  the 
power  to  do  as  He  pleased  with  him,  He  did  so. 
Because  he  was  not  guilty  of  any  crime,  of  notorious 
sin,  as  the  philosophers  sought  to  make  out,  he 
infers  that  his  affliction  is  without  adequate  grounds, 
that  it  is  altogether  disproportionate  to  his  case, 
and  therefore  unjust  and  arbitrary. 

4.  Job's  second  monologue,  chapters  xxvii-xxxi.  It 
was  now  Zophar's  turn  to  speak,  but  he  is  silent, 
and  the  others  also  hold  their  peace,  virtually  ad- 
mitting defeat.  The  great  debate  has  ended  with- 
out concluding  anything.  The  mystery  of  the 
affliction  of  the  godly  remains  unexplained.  This 
second  monologue  is  in  many  ways  very  remarka- 
ble. Its  diction  and  imagery,  its  deep  insight  into 
man's  powers  and  discoveries,  its  earnest  piety 
coupled  with  its  recognition  of  God's  unfathom- 
ablcness,  its  inimitable  pathos,  and  its  passionate 
appeals  are  unsurpassed  in  the  whole  field  of  litera- 
ture. The  touching  description  of  his  misery  as 
contrasted  with  his  former  happiness,  the  gloom 
that  has  settled  down  upon  him,  the  exposure  to 
shame  and  ignominy,  the  inward  terrors,  and  unan- 
swered prayers— how  graphically  it  is  all  portrayed. 
And  yet  never  once  does  he  abate  his  claim  to 
innocency.  He  clings  as  tenaciously  as  ever  to  his 
integrity.  That  he  has  been  wrong  he  will  not 
allow.     He  is  a  spotless  person,  according   to  his 


JOB.  153 

own  account  of  himself,  chapter  xxix.  In  chapter 
xxxi:35,  36,  he  expresses  the  desire  that  the 
Almighty  would  answer  him,  draw  up  charges 
against  him  (such  is  the  meaning  of  "adversary 
writing  a  book");  he  would  make  answer.  What 
language  for  a  sinful  mortal  to  use  toward  the 
infinite  God!  This  is  the  secret  of  the  book  and  the 
key  to  Job's  trial.  Let  us  not  read  it  as  if  the  aim 
were  merely  to  prove  the  devil  a  liar,  or  to  discuss 
the  mysterious  government  of  the  world,  or  to  vin- 
dicate God's  wisdom  and  goodness,  or  to  demon- 
strate Job's  sincerity.  All  this  is  in  it;  but  all  this 
is  not  the  main  design.  As  God's  dealing  with  him 
was  personal,  some  personal  reason  or  cause  there 
must  have  been  in  the  patriarch  for  it.  A  survey  of 
his  monologues  and  replies  to  his  friends  reveals 
the  very  important  fact  that  he  had  not  in  any 
measure  learned  that  in  him,  that  is,  in  his  flesh, 
there  dwelt  no  good  thing;  that  before  God  he  had 
absolutely  nothing  to  recommend  him  to  the  divine 
favor.  And  this  truth  is  forcibly  brought  out  by 
the  addresses  of  Elihu. 

5.  Elihiis  7ninistry,  chapters  xxxii-xxxvii.  Who  he 
was  or  where  his  home  was  is  not  definitely  known. 
His  name  means  "God  is  he,"  or  "He  is  my  God;" 
his  father's  name,  Barachel,  "God  blesses."  Obvi- 
ously the  knowledge  and  fear  of  the  Lord  found  a 
place  in  his  family.  He  was  present  during  the 
debate,  but  being  a  young  man  he  modestly  re- 
mained silent  while  his  elders  struggled  with  the 
deep  question  of  God's  providence  and  human  suf- 
fering. In  two  terse  sentences  the  whole  preceding 
discussion  is  condensed:  "Against  Job  was  his 
wr^th   kindled,   because  he  justified  himself  rather 


154  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

than  God.  Also  against  his  three  friends  was  his 
wrath  kindled,  because  they  had  found  no  answer, 
and  yet  had  condemned  Job,"  xxxii:2,  3.  There  it 
is  in  a  nut-shell.  If  the  friends  cannot  answer  him, 
why  should  they  condemn  him?  Moreover,  Job's 
justification  of  himself  is  virtually  God's  condemna- 
tion. God's  chastising  hand  was  upon  him  in  sore 
affliction,  in  order  that  the  evil  in  him  might  be 
disclosed,  judged,  and  put  away,  and  his  self-vindi- 
cation really  meant  the  defeat  of  His  gracious 
purpose,  so  far  as  he  could  defeat  it.  For  to  justify 
himself  was  to  take  his  stand  on  the  ground  of  law, 
or  his  own  righteousness,  and  there  condemnation 
must  be  his  portion. 

Elihu  pours  a  flood  of  light  on  the  subject  of 
afflictions.  He  shows  why  these  are  sent  on  the 
godly,  and  what  they  accomplish,  xxxiiiii/,  30; 
xxxiv:3i,  32.  In  visiting  suffering  on  His  people 
God  is  not  occupied  with  the  penal  side  of  their 
sins.  Their  afflictions  are  not  judgments,  but  chas- 
tisements. The  object  of  them  is  to  keep  back  the 
soul  of  the  saint  from  the  pit,  and  to  hide  pride 
from  him.  Hence  sufferings,  instead  of  being  an 
expression  of  His  wrath,  flow  from  divine  tender- 
ness and  love.  The  doctrine  of  Elihu  is  as  distant 
as  the  poles  from  that  of  Eliphaz  and  his  compan- 
ions. Job  recognizes  the  truth  of  it,  for  it  is  self- 
evidencing,  and  is  silent.  Besides,  he  shows  Job 
what  false  notions  he  entertained  about  himself. 
"  I  am  clean  without  transgression,  I  am  innocent; 
neither  is  there  iniquity  in  me,"  xxxiiiig;  cf.  ix:2i; 
xii:4;  xvi::/.  What  language  for  a  sinner  to  use 
with  whom  God  was  having  some  sort  of  con- 
troversy, and  upon  whom  such  awful  sorrows  had 


JOB.  155 

come!  And  yet  Job  adds:  "Behold,  he  findeth 
occasions  against  me,  He  countcth  me  for  his 
enemy,"  xxxiii:io.  Now  here  is  a  palpable  discrep- 
ancy. Could  a  holy  and  just  God  find  fault  with  a 
pure  and  innocent  man?  Impossible.  Either  Job  is 
self-deceived,  or  God  is  unrighteous.  Elihu  brings 
this  out;  then  pronounces  sentence:  "Behold,  in 
this  thou  art  not  just;  I  will  answer  thee,  that  God 
is  greater  than  man."  What  a  simple  truth;  and 
yet  how  appropriate  to  the  case  in  hand.  If  God  be 
greater  than  man,  clearly  he  and  not  man  must  be 
the  judge  of  what  is  right. 

6.     The  Lord's  prese?ice,  chapters  xxxviii-xlii.     All 
Job's    misconceptions   of   the  divine  character  and 
government,  all   his   rash  criticisms  on   the  Lord's 
ways,  and  all  his  fancied  goodness  vanish  instantly 
before   that  majestic  Presence.     "Who  is   he   that 
hideth  counsel  without  knowledge?   therefore  have 
I  uttered  that  I  understood  not;  things  too  wonder- 
ful for  me  which  I  knew  not.      I  have  heard  of  thee 
by  the  hearing  of  the  ear;  but  now  mine  eye  secth 
thee.     Wherefore   I    abhor   myself,   and   repent   in 
dust   and   ashes,"    xlii:3,    5»   6.     What   a   thorough 
breakdown.     Once  Job  wanted  to  be  in  His  pres- 
ence that  he  might  debate  the  question  of  his  suffer- 
ing with  Him.      Now  he  is  there,  and  this  is  the  is- 
sue:   profoundest  humiliation  and  repentance.     All 
egotism  is  gone,  and  pride  is  in  the  dust.     The  final 
end  and  aim  of  his  sorrows  are  at  length  attained, 
and  full  blessing  ensues. 

7  And  now  as  a  fitting  close  to  the  poem,  Job 
becomes  an  intercessor  for  the  three  philosophers 
who  had  not  spoken  the  right  thing  as  the  patriarch 
had  done,  xlii:8,  9-     The  friends  also  who  appear  to 


156  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

have  stood  aloof  from  him  in  the  day  of  his  calamity 
now  gather  about  him  with  their  gifts;  and  the  Lord 
Himself  doubles  for  His  servant  all  that  he  had  lost, 
save  His  children.  And  yet  these  are  doubled 
likewise.  Ten  waited  him  on  the  other  side,  and 
ten  were  given  here.  Thus,  the  oldest  book  in  the 
world  teaches  the  doctrine  of  immortality. 

The  ancient  Version  of  the  Seventy  adds  to  the 
Hebrew  closing  of  Job,  these  suggestive  words 
(with  others):  "It  is  written  that  he  will  rise  again 
with  those  whom  the  Lord  raiseth." 


PSALMS. 

In  Luke  xxiv:44  our  Lord  refers  to  what  is  written 
"in  the  law  of  Moses,  and  in  the  prophets,  and 
in  the  Psalms"  concerning  Himself.  This  is  an 
authoritative  division  of  the  Old  Testament.  By 
the  law  of  Moses  is  meant  the  Pentateuch,  or  Five- 
fold Book.  The  prophets  include  not  only  the 
prophetic  writings,  but  also  Joshua,  Judges,  the 
Samuels  and  Kings.  The  remaining  books  are  the 
Holy  Writings  (Hagiographa),  and  receive  the 
name  of  Psalms  because  this  book  stands,  in  the 
Hebrew  Bible,  at  the  head  of  the  division. 

The  Hebrew  title  to  this  precious  Scripture  is 
Praises,  or  the  Book  of  Praises,  a  title  which  desig- 
nates the  main  object  of  the  book,  viz.,  The  worship 
of  God.  Our  word  Psalms  is  the  anglicized  form  of 
the  Greek  name  for  the  book,  a  word  which  seems 
to  involve  the  idea  of  instrumental  accompaniment 
in  the  rendition  of  these  inspired  lyrics  in  the  wor- 
ship of  God.  The  early  Christian  fathers  called  it, 
The  Psalter. 

The  book  of  Psalms  has  evidently  a  peculiar  char- 
acter. It  is  not  the  history  of  God's  people,  or  of 
God's  ways  with  them,  nor  is  it  the  inculcation  of 
positive  doctrines  or  duties,  nor  the  formal  pro- 
phetic announcement  of  coming  events.  These  are  m 
the  Psalms,  it  is  true,  but  only  in  a  subordinate  way. 
History,  prophecy,  providence,  doctrine  and  law  are 


158  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

all  here,  but  these  form  nothing  more  than  the 
frame  around  which  the  Spirit  of  God  has  built  the 
praise,  prayer,  and  adoration  of  the  Lord's  people. 

"The  first  three  Psalms  are  keys  to  the  whole  col- 
lection; the  themes  are  the  Scriptures,  the  Messiah, 
and  the  believer's  experience."  Worship,  in  its 
broadest  application,  is  the  central  idea  of  the 
Psalter.  Many  of  the  Psalms,  in  whole  or  in  part, 
are  prayers — intercessions  for  the  psalmist  himself 
and  for  those  of  a  like  precious  faith  with  himself, 
for  the  Lord's  cause  in  the  earth,  and  for  the  reign 
of  righteousness  and  peace.  Many  of  them  express 
deep  and  poignant  sorrow  for  sin,  and  plead  for 
pardon.  Many  of  them  are  descriptive  of  the  godly 
man,  of  his  character,  ways,  afflictions,  and  deliver- 
ances. Others  are  didactic  and  predictive.  And 
others  pour  forth  the  fervid  praises  of  a  glad  and 
happy  heart.  But  all  of  them  are  worship.  They 
carry  the  worshiper  directly  into  the  divine  pres- 
ence, and  deal  with  all  that  is  in  him  and  belongs  to 
him  as  before  God.  Of  the  book  as  a  whole  the 
following  points  may  be  noted: 

I.  The  Psalms  are  pre-eminently  devotional.  They 
exhale  the  very  spirit  of  worship,  they  breathe  the 
atmosphere  of  devotion.  They  magnify  and  praise 
the  Lord,  they  ascribe  to  Him  the  majesty  and 
glory  which  are  due  to  Him  alone.  They  exalt 
His  attributes,  His  name,  His  word,  His  providence, 
and  His  presence  in  all  the  affairs  of  the  world. 
All  that  comes  into  the  life  of  the  saint  they  refer 
to  Him.  The  difficulties,  perils,  temptations,  ene- 
mies, sorrows,  joys,  in  short,  all  the  vast  experi- 
ences of  God's  people  are  brought  into  His  pres- 
ence, are  ascribed  to   Him.     The  Psalms,  unlike  the 


PSALMS.  150 

sentiments  of  most  in  our  day,  never  stop  short 
with  second  causes— with  the  laws  and  forces  of 
nature,  as  if  everything  here  were  tied  up  in  the  en- 
vironment, as  men  call  it— they  go  beyond  these,  to 
God  Himself,  and  to  that  infinite  Source  who  is 
present  in  all  the  works  of  His  hands,  they  attribute 
whatever  happens  to  the  believer.  The  heart  of  the 
worshiper  ever  turns  to  Him.  Very  significant  is 
the  frequent  exhortation  to  "lift  up"  the  heart  or 
the  soul  to  God,  an  expression  which  still  lingers 
in  the  Roman  Catholic  Missal — sitrsiun  corda, ''\j\i 
Heart" — surviving  amid  the  corruption  and  super- 
stition that  there  abound  like  the  peak  of  a  sub- 
merged world.  Worship,  the  devotion  of  the  heart, 
is  a  prominent  feature  of  the  Psalms. 

2.  The  Psalms  are  remarkably  fruitful  of  experi- 
ence. It  would  almost  seem  as  if  the  Spirit  of  God 
had  gathered  into  these  one  hundred  and  fifty 
lyrics  all  the  varied  exercises  of  soul  of  which  the 
redeemed  have  knowledge  in  the  world.  There  is 
no  state  or  exigency,  no  circumstance  or  set  of 
circumstances  of  what  nature  soever,  prosperous 
and  adverse,  bad  and  good,  near  and  remote,  but  it 
may  find  a  faithful  expression  in  this  inimitable 
book.  Here  is  mirrored  all  that  the  saint  desires 
and  seeks,  loves  and  hates.  His  hopes,  fears, 
confidence,  weaknesses,  strength,  triumph  and  fail- 
ure are  here.  Here,  too,  are  his  temptations  and 
trials,  his  conflicts  with  foes  both  within  and  with- 
out, his  defeats  and  his  victories.  In  short,  the  life 
of  the  believer,  with  its  intricate  mazes,  its  vast 
alterations,  is  here  laid  bare. 

No  doubt  the  human  experiences  recorded  in  the 
Psalms   have   a   basis  in   the  history  of  those  who 


160  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

were  their  authors;  but  not  all  of  them.  There  are 
noi  a  few  in  which  no  human  experience  finds  any 
counterpart.  We  must  look  to  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  to  find  any  adequate  expression  for  them. 
Nevertheless,  most  of  those  written  by  David  sprang 
from  his  o^vn  personal  experience,  and  this  fact 
explains  why  his  life  should  have  had  such  a 
wonderful  range.  He  was  called  to  write,  by  the 
inspiration  of  the  Spirit,  songs  that  would  go  to  the 
heart  of  universal  man,  and  so  his  life  ran  up  and 
down  through  the  entire  gamut  of  human  emotions. 
It  is  the  same,  in  degree,  with  the  other  Psalms  not 
belonging  to  David.  They,  are  all  the  products  of 
the  inner  life,  "openings  to  the  light  of  day  from 
the  strong  hidden  currents  which  have  been  flowing 
underneath." 

3.  But  there  is  much  more.  The  Psalms  are  full 
of  Christ.  They  speak  of  His  humiliation  and  ex- 
altation, of  His  rejection  by  the  world  and  of  His 
final  triumph  over  all  opposition.  But  they  go 
deeper,  as  we  may  say;  deeper  even  than  the  gos- 
pels; they  let  us  into  His  thoughts  and  feelings 
when  the  billows  of  wrath  were  rolling  over  Him, 
when  the  heavy  cloud  of  judgment  which  was  all 
our  own  burst  upon  His  devoted  head.  Such 
{particularly  are  the  Twenty-second  and  the  Sixty- 
ninth. 

4.  Authors  of  the  Psalms.  At  the  head  of  the  list, 
of  course,  stands  David,  the  poet-king,  and  prophet, 
Acts  ii:30.  He  was  naturally  most  gifted,  possessed 
in  a  very  high  degree  that  rarest  of  endowments,  a 
poetic  genius.  Far  beyond  all  this,  he  enjoyed  the 
inspiration  of  the  Spirit,  2  Sam.  xxiii:2.  Besides, 
David   stood  in  a  peculiar   relation  to    God,  was  a 


PSALMS.  161 

man  after  His  own  heart,  i  Sam.  xiii:i4.  In  the 
historical  books  of  the  Old  Testament  it  is  not  easy 
to  see  how  David's  character  comports  with  this  re- 
markable testimony;  but  in  the  Psalms  we  put  our 
finger  on  the  beating  of  his  heart-pulse,  and  feel  the 
very  throbbings  and  movements  of  his  soul.  Pre- 
eminently he  was  the  friend  of  God.  Seventy-three 
are  by  David,  fifty  are  anonymous,  and  it  is  thought 
by  many  that  some  of  them  were  composed  by  him 
likewise.  Moses  is  declared  to  be  the  author  of  the 
Ninetieth.  All  the  internal  evidences  corroborate 
the  heading.  It  is  emphatically  a  wilderness  and 
pilgrim  song,  a  true  "  Psalm  of  Life."  To  Solomon 
two  are  ascribed,  the  Seventy-second  and  the  One 
hundred  and  twenty-seventh.  The  latter  is  a  tem- 
ple song;  the  former  closes  with  "The  prayers  of 
David,  the  son  of  Jesse,  are  ended,"  words  that 
seem  to  suggest  a  Davidic  authorship.  The  mean- 
ing is,  that,  when  the  predictions  of  the  Psalms  arc 
fulfilled,  the  grand  objects  for  which  David  prayed 
will  then  be  realized.  Asaph,  Jeduthun  (or  Ethan), 
and  the  sons  of  Korah  were  probably  the  authors  of 
those  which  bear  their  names. 

5.  The  collection  and  arrangement  of  the  Psalter. 
It  is  very  generally  believed  that  David  arranged 
those  existing  at  his  time.  We  infer  this  from  his 
careful  ordering  the  service  of  song  in  the  worship 
of  the  sanctuary,  i  Chron.  xxv.  Probably  Ezra  col- 
lected and  arranged  the  book  as  we  now  have  it. 
The  principle  by  which  he  was  guided  was  not  tliat 
of  chronology,  or  the  respective  ages  of  the  various 
Psalms  but  the  '♦  succession  of  thought,"  and  the 
two  great  names  of  God,  as  we  shall   presently  see. 

6     The  inscriptions  are  worthy  of  note,  though 


1G2  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

SO  ancient  that  their  meaning  was  only  partially 
known  when  the  Septuagint  version  was  made 
[nearly  three  centuries  before  Christ];  at  least  some 
of  them  are  not  translated.  Michtam  is  a  golden, 
inaschil  3.  didactic  Psalm.  Se/a/i  is  thought  by  many 
to  be  a  musical  sign  of  some  sort.  If  so,  then  Hab. 
iii  was  intended  to  be  musically  rendered,  for  it  is 
found  there.  It  is  always  connected  with  some 
striking  passage,  is  a  kind  of  index  finger,  as  if 
saying,  "  Pause  and  consider."  Jerome  says  that  the 
words  with  which  Selah  stands  are  of  eternal  mo- 
ment. The  significance  of  the  other  headings  is 
only  conjectural.  Two  translations  of  the  Sept., 
however,  are  suggestive: — Ps.  xxii:  "To  the  chief 
mur.ician  upon  Aijeleth — Shahar,"  i.  e.,  "The  hind 
of  the  morning;"  an  allusion  to  the  plaint  of  the 
Messiah  compassed  about  by  baying  dogs,  like  the 
hunted  hind.  Ps.  Ivi:  "The  silent  dove  in  far-off 
lands,"  in  allusion  perhaps  to  David's  exile  life. 

7.  The  book  is  divided  into  five  parts,  each  divi- 
sion being  marked  by  a  doxology.  The  revision  is 
a  signal  improvement  on  the  authorized  version  of 
the  Old  Testament,  for  it  faithfully  represents  these 
divisions.  Some  have  seen  in  the  Psalter  the  image 
of  the  Pentateuch.  Delitzsch  calls  it  "the  conere- 
gation's  five-fold  word  to  the  Lord,  even  as  the 
Thorah  [the  Law]  is  the  Lord's  five-fold  word  to 
the  congregation."  The  One  hundred  and  fiftieth 
is  the  doxolog}/  of  the  fifth  book,  and  of  the  entire 
collection.  It  begins  with  the  noble  word  Hallelu- 
jah, and  ends  with  it,  and  in  every  verse  lying 
between,  it  is  found.  The  Psalm  has  the  same  num-, 
ber  of  verses  as  the  first,  but  how  different  the  two, 
and  how  much  lies  between  them.   Through  struggle 


PSALMS.  163 

and  conflict,  defeat  and  victory,  the  people  and 
cause  of  God  have  pressed  on,  and  now  at  length 
His  vast  purposes  find  their  fulfillment,  and  every- 
thing that  hath  breath  is  summoned  to  praise  Him. 
It  is  the  climax,  the  fiiiale  of  all  toward  which  He 
has  been  working  and  moving  through  the  past  ages 
and  dispensations,  and  the  goal  is  now  reached;  and 
so  the  magnificent  shout  of  a  redeemed  creation  is 
Hallelujah. 

8.     Variation  of  the  divine  names  in  the  Psalms. 
Reference   is   made  more   particularly  to   the   two 
great  titles  by  which  the  Supreme   Being  is  com- 
monly designated  in  the  Old  Testament,  viz.,  Lord 
(Jehovah)  and   God   (Elohim).     The  use  of  these 
two  divine  names  in  the  Psalter  is  very  noticeable 
and   interesting.     In  book  first,  Ps.  i-xli,   Lord   (or 
Jehovah)  occurs  about  277  times,  and  God  (Elohim) 
only  about  forty-seven  times.      In  book  second,  Ps. 
xlii-lxxii,  the  order  is  reversed,  God  being  found 
some   194    times,    and    Lord    only    some    twenty- 
seven  times.     Book   Third,  Ixxiii-lxxxix,   employs 
them  with  approximate  uniformity,  or  to  speak  a 
little  more  accurately,  the  book  is  made  up  of  about 
fifty-seven   Elohim    (God)   and   forty-six    Jehovah 
Psalms.     The  title  of  God  is  found  much  more  fre- 
quently in  the  first  half  than  in  the  last;   and  con- 
versely, Lord  less   in  the  first  than  in  the  last  half, 
i.  e..  Ps.  Ixxiii-lxxxii    have   God  about  forty  times, 
and  Lord  only  about  ten  times;  while  in  Ixxxiii- 
Ixxxix  God  occurs  seventeen,  and  Lord  thirty-three 
times.     In  the  fourth  and  fifth  books  the  name  God 
recedes  more  and  more,  being  found   about   forty 
times,  while   Lord   comes  into   remarkable   promi- 
nence, occuring  nearly  380  times.     (Note:     Ps.  cviii 


164  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

is  made  up  of  two  Psalms  from  the  second  book.) 
The  Spirit  uses  these  divine  names,  not  at  random 
as  men  so  often  do,  but  always  with  an  intelligent  pur- 
pose, whether  we  be  able  to  discover  His  design  or 
not.  It  is  believed  God  is  the  wider  title,  the  more 
general  name,  and  designates  Him  as  the  Creator, 
Governor  and  Judge  of  all;  Lord  as  the  self-existent 
One  who  stands  in  covenant  relationship  with  His 
people.  In  Gen.  i  it  is  God  who  creates;  while  it  is 
Jehovah  who  makes  the  covenant  with  Abraham  and 
with  Israel.  God  refers  to  His  natural  attributes 
(His  power,  wisdom,  etc.),  whereas  Jehovah  (while 
not  excluding  the  other)  refers  more  especially 
to  His  moral  attributes  (holiness,  mercy,  etc.) 
(Forbes). 

Let  it  be  carefully  observed  that  the  Psalms  are 
arranged  according  to  these  great  names  of  God, 
and  not  according  to  the  dates  of  their  composi- 
tion at  all.  Some  of  the  oldest  are  toward  the 
end  of  the  collection,  as  that  ascribed  to  Moses 
which  is  numbered  as  the  90th,  and  the  145th  is 
David's,  while  some  that  are  supposed  to  have  been 
written  about  the  time  of  the  Babylonian  exile  are 
nearly  in  the  middle  of  the  book.  Chronology, 
therefore,  had  no  place  in  the  arrangement  of  the 
Psalms.  The  divine  names  are  the  key  to  their 
order.  This  appears  from  the  32d  and  51st,  both  of 
which  relate  to  the  sin  of  David.  The  32d  is  in  the 
first  book  and  has  the  title.  Lord,  throughout,  for  it 
is  the  joy  of  forgiveness  and  restoration  of  divine 
favor  which  are  there  celebrated;  whereas  in  the 
51st,  where  the  awful  crime  is  so  touchingly  con- 
fessed, the  name  is  God  exclusively,  save  in  verse 
1 5,  which  has  Lord  (Adonai),  Master.  And  yet  in  the 


PSALMS. 


165 


order  of  time   the    51st  takes   the  precedence,  for 
pardon    follows   confession;  but  the  51st  is  in   the 
second  book.    Why  are  they  placed  thus?     The  ex- 
planation  seems   to   be   this:     In   the    51st   David 
recognizes  that  his  sin  has  in  reality  interrupted  the 
covenant  relation  he  sustains  to   God,  that  it   is  a 
virtual  breach  of  it,  and  hence  he  does  not  appeal 
to  Jehovah,  but  to  God,  the  Judge  and  Governor, 
who  stands  at  a  distance  from  the  sinner,  ready,  as 
we  may  say,  to  hear  his  confession,  judge  his  sin, 
and  restore  him  to  favor;  but  in  the  32d  he  joyfully 
reclaims  the  covenant  relation,  re-enters  into  com- 
munion with  his  Redeemer,  and  hence   Jehovah  is 
the  great  title  of  his  address. 

The  Psalter  gives  evidence  of  what  we  may  call 
structural   inspiration.      It   is  firmly  believed   that 
none  other  but  the  Spirit   of  God  arranged   these 
Psalms  as  we  now  have  them;   and  that  there  is  a 
profound  meaning  in  their  order.     The  whole  book 
fs  a  sort  of  mirror  of  God's  ways  with   His  people, 
and  with  the  world.      In  the  first  book  Israel  is  in 
the  covenant  relation  with   God,  and  therefore  the 
covenant  name,  >AW^,  is  Prominent;  in  the  sec- 
end    the  people  have  fallen   from   their  first  lo^e 
hav     gone  into   apostacy   and   unbe he  ,    and    G.i 
takes  fhe   pre-eminence,   God.   the   Judge  and  the 
Governor;  fn  the  third,  they  are  viewed  as  returmng 


166  OUTLIJ^E    STUDIES. 

great  Hallelujah  Chorus  is  sung.  Like  some  majes- 
tic oratorio,  some  sublime  symphony,  is  this  book 
of  Psalms,  with  the  theme  sometimes  receding, 
then  again  advancing,  now  in  the  minor,  then  in  the 
major,  and  anon  in  the  chromatic  scales,  struggling 
through  difficulties,  triumphing  over  obstacles, 
steadily  moving  forward  to  the  climax  when  all  the 
voices  and  all  the  instruments,  the  parts  and  the 
chorus  unite  and  combine  in  the  final  and  over- 
whelming Hallelujah.  One  can  hardly  doubt  but 
that  the  close  of  the  Psalter  celebrates  the  glorious 
time  when  the  voices  of  angels,  redeemed  men,  and 
every  creature  in  heaven  and  on  earth  and  under  the 
earth,  and  such  as  are  in  the  sea,  will  join  in  the 
thrilling  anthem,  "  Blessing,  and  honor,  and  glory, 
and  power,  be  unto  Him  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne, 
and  unto  the  Lamb  for  ever  and  ever.  Amen" — Hal- 
lelujah, Rev.  V,  11-14.  The  book  of  Psalms,  it  is 
firmly  believed,  is  prophetic.  The  Spirit  of  God 
has  ordered  these  His  songs  in  the  way  He  has, 
that  the  believer  might  here,  as  in  so  much  else  of 
Holy  Scripture,  have  the  assurance  of  the  blessed 
outcome  of  God's  ways  with  the  world. 

But  there  is  progress  in  the  book  likewise.  The 
first  and  second  books  give  us  David's  experience, 
and  God's  dealings  with  him.  But  we  do  not  stop 
with  doctrine  and  discipline  as  an  ultimate  attain- 
ment. And  so  the  other  books  go  on,  rising  higher 
and  higher  until  they  culminate  in  the  exultant 
burst  of  jubilant  praise  of  the  Hallelujah  Psalms  at 
the  close. 

The  Songs  of  Degrees,  or  Ascents,  Ps.  cxx-cxxxiv, 
were  probably  sung  by  the  caravan  pilgrims  as  they , 
went  up   from   various  sections  of   the  country   to 


PSALMS.  167 

keep  the  annual  feasts  at  Jerusalem.  How  appro- 
priate they  are  for  such  devout  companies  is  appar- 
ent to  every  attentive  reader.  No  doubt  it  was  with 
thanksgiving  and  joy  that  the  travelers  sang,  **  I  was 
glad  when  they  said  unto  me,  Let  us  go  into  the 
house  of  the  Lord,"  cxxii.  As  the  hills  of  Judca 
arose  before  them  with  equal  gladness  they  sang, 
**  I  will  lift  up  mine  eyes  unto  the  hills  from  whence 
cometh  my  help,"  cxxi.  The  safety  and  stability  of 
those  who  trust  in  the  Lord  found  expression  in  the 
noble  words  of  Ps.  cxxv.  It  adds  a  charming  feat- 
ure to  these  fifteen  Psalms  when  we  think  of  them 
as  the  songs  of  God's  wandering  people.  It  is  no 
spiritualizing  process  which  declares  that  these  also 
are  our  pilgrim  Psalms,  our  mighty  and  inspired 
road  songs. 

There  are  several  acrostic  Psalms,. or  better,  "A 
B  C  Psalms,"  as  the  Latin  fathers  named  them 
{Psalmi  abecedart).  The  most  notable  is  the  one 
hundred  and  nineteenth,  each  verse  of  which  in  the 
entire  twenty-two  parts  begins  with  its  own  acrostic 
letter. 

9.  The  imprecatory  Psalms.  Besides  isolated  and 
minor  passages  which  occur  throughout  the  book, 
there  are  at  least  three,  viz.,  xxxv,  Ixix,  cix,  which 
invoke  the  most  awful  judgments  upon  the  heads  of 
enemies.  They  seem  to  breathe  the  very  spirit  of 
hatred  and  revenge.  The  believing  heart  of  many 
is  staggered  by  the  fierce  wrath  and  indignation 
which  these  Psalms  display.  Let  us  calmly  study 
them,  and  learn  what  we  may  of  their  import. 

(I)  We  are  to  offer  no  apology  for  these  and  the 
like  Scriptures.  If  we  believe  in  the  plenary  inspira- 
tion   of  the    Bible,   we  are  to    hold   firmly  to  the 


168  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

truth  that  these  Psalms,  terrible  as  they  may  be  to 
us  who  see  so  little  of  the  real  nature  of  sin  and  its 
hcinousness  and  of  God's  unalterable  purpose  to 
punish  it  forever,  are  the  expression  of  the  mind  of 
the  Spirit  concerning  evil  and  persistent,  incorrigible 
evil  doers.  Nor  should  it  be  forgotten  that  the  Lord 
Jesus  Himself,  that  meek  and  lowly  One,  employed 
as  appalling  language  about  the  wicked  as  is  found 
in  the  Psalter,  Matt,  xxiii,  13-36;  Mar.  ix,  42-49,  etc. 
Men  who  charge  the  writers  of  the  Psalms  in  ques- 
tion with  bloody-mindedness  bring  the  same  accusa- 
tion against  the  Son  of  God. 

(2)  The  imprecatory  Psalms  with  few  exceptions 
are  ascribed  to  David.  That  king  was  as  devoid  of 
vindictiveness  as  any  public  character  that  can  well 
be  named.  His  noble  conduct  toward  Saul,  the 
meekness  with  which  he  bore  the  bitter  reproaches 
of  Shimei,  his  gentleness  and  humility,  remove  him 
far  enough  from  the  charge  of  bloodthirstiness,  and 
the  lust  of  vengeance.  Compare  him  with  the  rulers 
of  so-called  Christian  nations,  since  the  reformation 
— the  kings  of  Germany,  the  Charleses  of  England 
to  say  nothing  of  those  of  Austria,  Spain,  France, 
Russia— all  Christian  at  least  in  name,  and  it  will  be 
seen  that  not  one  of  them  stands  higher  than  David 
in  the  qualities  of  mercy  and  justice;  nay,  most  of 
them  fall  far  below  him.  When  David's  whole 
career  is  intelligently  and  fairly  reviewed,  it  leaves 
on  the  mind  the  impression  of  a  man  who  possessed 
as  meek  and  placable  a  temper  as  any  monarch  of 
history.  The  imprecatory  Psalms  he  wrote  are  ex- 
traordinary, and  out  of  his  common  way  of  acting 
and  feeling. 

(3)  These  are  not  the  utterances  of  resentment 


PSALMS.  169 

for  private  injuries,  or  of  a  desire  to  see  personal 
enemies  laid  low.  The  inspired  writer  speaks  in  a 
public  character,  as  the  anointed  king  of  Israel,  the 
chosen  servant  of  the  Lord.  It  is  for  the  vindication 
of  the  cause  he  represents,  the  cause  of  God  and  of 
righteousness,  he  asks. 

(4)  These  Psalms  are  associated  with  the  Lord 
Jesus   Christ.     Peter   quotes  the  one  hundred  and 
ninth  and  applies  it  directly  to  Judas  Iscariot  and 
his  betrayal  of  Jesus,  Acts  i,  20.     Five  times  the  six- 
ty-ninth is  quoted  in  the   New  Testament,  besides 
being  often  alluded  to,  Jno.  ii,  17;  xv,  25;  xix,  28.  30; 
Rom.  xi,  9;  XV,  3.     The  circumstances  in  which  they 
are  quoted  are  as  remarkable  as  the  quotations  them- 
selves.    In  the  guest  chamber  Jesus  cited  Ixix,  4: 
"  They  hated  me  without  a  cause,"  and  He  repre- 
sents it  as  a  prediction  of  the  people's  hatred  of  the 
Father  and  Himself,  Jno.  xv,  25.     When   He  drove 
the  hucksters  from  the  temple  the  disciples  remem- 
bered it  is  written,  "  The  zeal  of  thy  house  hath  eaten 
me  up,"  Ps.  Ixix,  9;  and  the  words  reveal  His  mind 

at  the  time.  .  . 

( 0  They  express  Christ's  righteous  indignation 
against  the  malice  and  enmity  of  incorrigible  and 
impenitent  sinners;  and  His  determination  to  visit 
condign  punishment  upon  them.  In  these  and  sim- 
lar  Scriptures  the  Lord  asks  that  3-tice.  rigor^^^^ 
and  inflexible,  be  done  on  His  foes;  and  God  s  just- 
ice,  when  executed  as  He  only   can,  is  approved  by 

thfhUds  of  His  implacable  ^ocs  during  His  er 


170  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

his  counterpart  and  far  more  in  the  man  of  sin;  the 
mocking  rabble  of  Jerusalem  will  have  theirs  in  the 
mad  outburst  of  godlessness  when  the  world,  led  on 
by  Satan  and  deceived  by  a  lie,  shall  wheel  into  line 
and  march  to  battle  against  the  Lord  God  and 
His  Christ;  and  then  these  "  cursing  Psalms,"  and  ' 
the  awful  predictions  of  Isaiah,  Daniel,  Jesus,  Paul, 
and  John  shall  have  their  final  and  complete  fulfill 
ment. 

10.  Christ  in  the  Psalms.  That  Christ  is  in  the 
book  is  universally  admitted.  All  students  recog- 
nize it.  There  may  be  difference  of  opinion  as  to 
the  Messianic  character  of  some,  and  as  to  the  sense 
of  particular  passages,  but  the  broad  fact  is  incon 
trovertible.  But  how  is  He  here  presented?  Almost 
as  fully  as  in  the  New  Testament. 

He  is  revealed  as  the  Prophet.  In  Ps.  xxii,  22  He 
says,  •'  I  will  declare  thy  name  unto  my  brethren;  in 
the  midst  of  the  congregation  will  I  praise  thee." 
These  words  are  quoted  in  Heb.  ii,  I2,  as  proof  that 
Christ  is  not  ashamed  to  call  His  people  His  breth 
ren.  It  may  be  also  that  He  had  these  words  in 
mind  when,  in  the  intercessory  prayer,  he  said,  **  I 
have  declared  thy  name  unto  them,  and  will  declare 
it,"  Jno.  xvii,  26 — a  compendium  of  all  that  He 
taught  His  disciples,  and  of  all  He  continues  to 
teach  them;  for  His  one  supreme  work  was  and  is, 
to  reveal  the  Father  to  His  people,  and  to  bring 
them  into  His  glorious  presence,  Heb.  ii,  13.  Ps.  xl. 
9,  10,  exhibits  Him  as  preaching,  and  the  theme  of 
the  great  Preacher  is,  righteousness,  faithfulness, 
salvation,  lovingkindness,  and  truth;  and  these  all 
as  of  God,  for  before  each  of  the  words  on  which  He 
discourses  stands  "  thy."  In  the  New  Testament 
He  reveals  "  The  righteousness  of  God  by  faith."  So 


PSALMS.  171 

likewise  He  is  the  Prophet  in  Ps.  xlv;  Ixxxix;  cxix; 
cii,  etc. 

His  priestly  office  is  made  very  promi?mit.  In  Ps.  xl, 
6,  8  we  have  the  object  of  His  mission  announced, 
and  the  perfection  of  His  work  as  contrasted  with 
the  inefficiency  of  the  Levitical  sacrifices.  In  Ps. 
xxii  and  Ixix  the  intensity  andawfulness  of  His  suf- 
ferings as  Priest  and  Victim  are  depicted  with  graphic 
power.  A  remarkable  feature  in  these  two  Psalms 
is  that  the  language  is  that  of  history,  the  past  tense, 
such  as  He  uses  in  His  prayer  in  John  xvii,  as  if  all 
were  an  accomplished  fact,  a  consummated  thing. 
The  human  experience  of  the  writer  has  little  or 
nothing  to  do  with  the  indescribable  anguish  of 
these  Psalms,  for  suffering  in  them  passes  into  a 
region  where  no  mere  mortal  ever  enters.  In  Geth- 
semane  and  at  the  cross  alone  is  the  fulfillment  to 
be  seen.  The  twenty-second  ends  with  the  striking 
words,  ''  They  shall  come  and  declare  His  righteous- 
ness unto  a  people  that  shall  be  born,  that  He  hath 
done  this."  He  hath  do?ie  it,  is  translated  by  Him 
into  "  It  is  finished,"  as  Hengstenberg  has  shown. 
It  is  noteworthy  that  the  word  priest  in  the  singular 
occurs  but  once  in  the  Psalter.  In  Ps.  ex  is  found  this 
unexpected  verse  (i.  e.,  so  abruptly  is  it  introduced), 
"The  Lord  hath  sworn,  and  will  not  repent,  Thou  art 
a  priest  forever  after  the  order  of  Melchizcdck." 
The  King  is  also  the  Priest  whose  office  is  everlast- 
ing, all  succession  being  cut  off.  The  divinely  insti- 
tuted Aaronic  priesthood  is  passed  by,  and  a  still 
more  ancient  order  that  has  lain  dormant  for  a  thou- 
sand years,  is  revived  and  perpetuated  in  this  new 
Priest-king.  The  doctrine  of  the  oath  of  God  as  to 
Christ  the  King  and  Priest  is  fully    drawn  out  in 


172  OUTLINE    STUDIES 

Heb.  vii.  The  sixteenth  declares  the  Messiah's 
death  and  resurrection,  which  Peter  on  the  day  of 
Pentecost  uses  with  wonderful  power.  The  sixty- 
eighth  tells  of  His  ascension  and  its  results,  cf  Eph. 
iv,  8-12;  Acts  ii,  30-34. 

His  kingly  office  is  celebrated  in  very  many,  e.  g.,  ii, 
xxi,  xlv,Txxii,  etc.  The  King  and  His  kingdom  in 
these  and  the  like  Psalms  is  infinitely  more  glorious 
and  mighty  than  that  of  David  or  Solomon,  than  of 
any  and  all  the  kings  of  earth.  In  exact  accordance 
with  the  teaching  of  the  New  Testament  the  Psalms 
ground  Christ's  kingdom  upon  His  perfect  sacrifice, 
as  the  second,  one  hundred  and  tenth,  and  others 
clearly  show.  In  fact,  all  through  the  Psalter  there  is 
a  constant  blending  of  Messiah's  offices  in  the  same 
Psalm,  e.  g.,  in  the  twenty-second  He  is  Prophet  and 
Priest,  in  the  one  hundred  and  tenth  King  and  Priest, 
etc.  His  offices  are  interdependent  and  inhere  in  the 
one  person  of  the  Mediator;  and  this  great  fact  proves 
incontrovertibly  that  the  Messianic  Psalms  cannot  ap- 
ply to  any  human  king  like  David,  or  Hezekiah,  or 
Josiah;  to  any  priest  like  Aaron,  or  Hilkiah;  to  any 
prophet  like  Moses,  or  Elijah;  for  no  one  of  them, 
good  and  great  men  as  they  were,  ever  combined  all 
these  offices  in  his  own  person.  They  find  their  per- 
fection only  in  Him  who  was  the  Prophet  greater 
than  Jonah,  who  was  the  King  greater  than  Solomon, 
who  was  the  Priest  greater  than  Aaron  and  Mel- 
chizcdek. 

His  sufferings  are  delineated  minutely.  We  are 
taught  in  the  Psalms  that  He  suffered  from  three 
sources.  First,  He  suffered  from  God.  This  solemn 
truth  is  brought  out  vividly  in  the  twenty-second. 
The  very  words  He  uttered  on  the  cross  are  here 


PSALMS.  173 

found,  made  ready  to  His  hand.  He  ascribes  His 
exceeding  sorrow  to  God,  and  to  His  treatment  of 
Him  as  the  surety  and  substitute  of  His  people. 
Atonement  is  unquestionably  taught  in  this  book. 
Second,  He  suffered  from  the  hand  of  man,  i.  e.,  for 
righteousness'  sake.  His  patience,  humility,  benev- 
olence, love,  and  piety  call  out  the  fiercest  enmity  of 
wicked  men  and  of  Satan  against  Him.  This  side 
of  our  Lord's  sufferings  is  most  fully  dwelt  on. 
With  amazing  force  and  accuracy  the  rage  and  fury 
of  His  foes  are  depicted.  They  rush  upon  Him 
open-mouthed,  like  ferocious  beasts.  They  roar 
about  Him,  like  savage  bulls  of  Bashan.  He  stands 
in  the  midst  of  them  as  though  surrounded  by  bay- 
ing dogs — He  innocent  and  guileless,  like  the  hunted 
hind.     They  stand  staring  and  gaping  upon  Him: 

"  But  I  a  worm,  as  no  man  prized, 
Reproached  of  men,  by  all  despised; 
All  shake  the  head,  they  mock  and  gaze, 
Each  scornful  lip  contempt  betrays." 

His  sorrowful  plaint  in  the  sixty-ninth  is  that 
every  delicacy  of  feeling  is  violated  by  His  pitiless 
enemies.  Shame  covers  His  face,  reproach  breaks 
His  heart.  He  is  the  song  of  the  drunkards  as  they 
reel  through  the  streets.  He  is  an  alien  to  His 
mother's  children  (a  proof  that  Mary  had  other 
children  after  the  birth  of  her  Son,  Ixix.  8). 
Wretched  men  dared  to  spit  in  His  face.  And  He 
is  all  alone  in  His  suffering,  with  none  to  pity  or  to 
help  Third,  He  suffered  in  sympathy  with  His 
people  He  so  entirely  identified  Himself  with  them 
that  He  became  a  partaker  with  them  in  their 
afflictions  and  distresses.  The  ''  godly  man,  the 
upright  man,"  the  ''  afflicted  man"  of  the  Psalter  ,s 


174  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

ultimately  none  other  than  the  Son  of  man  who  in 
wondrous  sympathy  makes  the  sorrows  of  believers 
His  own,  who  shares  with  them  all  their  human  ex- 
periences except  personal  sin.  If  they  are  in  trouble 
He  enters  into  it  with  them;  if  floods  are  rolling  over 
them,  He  likewise  is  in  deep  waters.  Indeed,  we 
cannot  understand  much  of  this  profound  book  un- 
less we  see  that  Christ  is  intimately  associated  with 
His  people  in  all  that  befalls  them.  (See  the  proof, 
if  proof  be  needed,  Heb.  ii,  12,  13,  where  He  sings 
praise  like  the  brethren,  and  trusts  like  the  brethren 
— His  brethren.) 

His  secoiid  comifig  is  foretold,  1,  xcvii,  xcviii,  etc. 
The  Psalms,  like  all  other  Scriptures,  are  full  of 
Christ.  They  speak  of  His  person,  offices,  suffer- 
ings; of  His  death,  resurrection,  ascension,  and  com- 
ing again;  they  set  forth  the  glory  of  His  kingdom 
when  He  shall  take  to  Himself  His  great  power  and 
.reign  in  millennial  bliss  over  all  the  earth. 

II.  The  Doctrine  of  Sin  in  the  Psalter.  The  law  was 
the  revelation  of  God's  mind  as  to  sin.  The  Psalms 
are  the  response  of  God's  people  to  His  declarations 
on  the  subject.  And  the  fulness  of  their  teaching 
on  the  terrific  topic  appears:  (i)  In  the  copious- 
ness of  the  vocabulary  employed  to  describe  it;  as 
evil,  itiiqidty,  wickedness,  sin — in  the  abstract,  or  as  a 
principle;  then  as  manifesting  itself  in  outward  acts, 
as  trespass,  transgression,  disobedie?ice,  wrongs,  faults, 
etc.  (2)  In  the  recognition  of  natural  depravity. 
Original  sin  is  certainly  acknowledged.  The  taint  of 
sin  is  born  with  us.  It  is  not  a  thing  contracted  by 
example  or  contact  with  men;  its  presence  in  us  and 
with  us  antedates  our  birth.  (3)  In  the  confession 
of  sin,  so  full,  so  intense,  so  hot  burning  and  choked 


PSALMS. 


175 


with  sobs.  (4)  In  its  pardon,  God  exhausts  even 
His  vocabulary  in  revealing  His  pardoning  mercy  in 
the  book.  He  forgives  sin,  sins,  iniquities,  trans- 
gressions, trespasses;  He  blots  them  out,  puts  them 
away,  covers  them  over,  hides  them.  That  is.  the 
pardon  extends  to  the  utmost  limit  of  the  beine. 
nature,  activities,  and  pollution  of  sin.  Luther  named 
Ps.  xxxii,  li,  cxxx,  cxliii,  Psahni  Paulitii — Pauline 
Psalms;  for  they  contain  the  doctrine  of  Paul  as  to 
justification,  repentance,  and  pardon. 

12.  Recog?iitio?i  of  the  Word  ef  God  in  the  Psalms. 
This  is  another  prominent  feature  of  the  book. 
According  to  Ps,  i,  2,  the  "blessed  man"  is  n  c 
who  among  other  things  makes  the  law  of  tiic 
Lord  his  delight  and  his  study  night  and  day.  It  is 
no  fnsignificant  mark  of  genuine  piety.  He  who  has 
no  desire  nor  relish  for  food  is  sick.  In  Ps.  xix, 
7-9,  we  have  "  six  descriptive  titles  of  the  word,  six 
characteristic  qualities  mentioned,  and  six  divine 
effects  declared;"  while  in  verses  ten,  eleven,  the 
Holy  Spirit  gives  His  estimate  of  the  value  of  the 
Word,  and  the  believer's  use  of  it.  Ps.  cxix— twen- 
ty-two alliterative  poems,  with  eight  verses  in  each, 
the  first  word  in  every  line  beginning  with  the  same 
letter,  celebrates  in  a  very  wonderful  manner  the 
Word  of  God.  In  every  verse  but  one.  (122)  the 
Scriptures  are  mentioned  by  some  of  their  many 
titles;  hence  there  is  ground  for  this  inscription  of 
a  certain  version, '' The  Christian's  golden  ABC  of 
the  praise,  love,  power,  and  use  of  the  Word  of 
God."  In  cxxxviii,  2,  we  have  God's  exaltation  of 
His  Word  above  all  His  name. 

13.  The  doctrine  of  the  future  life  is  prominent  in 
the  book.     It  is  enough  to  refer  the  reader  to   the 


176  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

following:  i;  xvi,  8-ii;  xvii,  15;  xxiii;  xxxi,  5;  xxxiv, 
22;  1,  1-6,  etc. 

14.  The  Psalms'  place  in  stiff erings  of  the  saints. 
What  a  story  they  could  tell  if  we  could  but 
hear  it  from  sick  beds,  from  dungeons,  scaffolds, 
stakes,  lonely  mountains  and  bleak  moors,  from  ex- 
iles and  martyrs,  from  the  fields  of  battles  and  the 
valley  of  the  shadow  of  death!  "  What  a  record  that 
would  be,  if  one  could  write  it  down — all  the  spir- 
itual experiences,  the  disclosures  of  the  heart,  the 
comforts  and  the  conflicts  which  men  in  the 
course  of  ages  have  connected  with  the  w^ords  of  the 
Psalms.  What  a  history,  if  we  could  discover  the 
place  the  book  has  occupied  in  the  inner  life  of  the 
heroes  of  the  kingdom  of  God!"  (Tholuck.) 

It  may  prove  helpful  to  some  if  a  few  incidents  of 
Christian  history  be  given  in  which  the  book  was  the 
stay  and  comfort  of  God's  afflicted  people.  From 
various  sources  these  now  recorded  have  been  gath- 
ered, but  mainly  from  Dr.  Ker's  little  volume,  "  The 
Psalms  in  History  and  Biography." 

Ps.  ii,  10,  II,  was  the  remonstrance  addressed  to 
Henry  VHI.  of  England  by  John  Lambert,  who  was 
burned  at  Smithfield  in  1538.  His  martyrdom  was 
one  of  the  most  cruel  of  that  time,  and  yet  his  faith 
was  most  triumphant,  as  he  lifted  his  fingers  flaming 
with  fire,  saying,  "  None  but  Christ,  none  but  Christ." 

Ps.  iv,  6,  "  Lord,  lift  up  the  light  of  thy  coun- 
tenance upon  me,"  was  quoted  by  James  Melville 
when  he  was  dying,  for  his  comfort,  as  likewise, 
xxiii,  4;  xxvii,  i.  "The  candle  being  behind  back, 
he  desired  that  it  should  be  brought  before  him,  that 
he  might  see  to  die.  By  occasion  thereof,  he  re- 
membered that  Scripture,  Ps.  xviii,  28,  '  The  Lord 


PSALMS.  177 

will  lighten  my  candle;  He  will  enlighten  my  dark- 
ness.'" A  woman  of  our  own  times,  wife  of  Thomas 
Carlyle,  thus  wrote  in  her  journal:  "Sleep  has  come 
to  look  to  me  the  highest  virtue  and  the  greatest 
happiness;  that  is,  good  sleep, untroubled,  beautiful, 
like  a  child's.  Ah,  me!  have  mercy  upon  me,  O 
Lord;  for  1  am  weak.  O  Lord,  heal  mc;  for  my  bones 
are  vexed.  My  soul  is  also  sore  vexed;  but  thou,  O 
Lord,  how  long?"— vi,  2,  3.  Not  a  few  know  the 
sweetness  of  iv,  8;  cxxvii,  2,  "  So  He  giveth  His  be- 
loved sleep,"  when  insomnia  torments  and  terrifies 
them. 

Psalm  twenty-three  fills  a  very  large  place  in  the 
history  of  God's  children.  "  It  has  sung  courage  to 
the  army  of  the  disappointed.  It  has  poured  balm 
and  consolation  into  the  hearts  of  the  sick,  of  cap- 
tives in  dungeons,  of  widows  in  their  pinching  griefs, 
of  orphans  in  their  loneliness.  Dying  soldiers  have 
died  easier  as  it  was  read  to  them;  ghastly  hospitals 
have  been  illuminated;  it  has  visited  the  prisoner,  and 
broken  his  chains,  and,  like  Peter's  angel,  led  him 
forth  in  imagination,  and  sung  him  back  to  his  home 
again.  It  has  made  the  dying  Christian  slave  freer 
than  his  master."  John  Welsh,  son-in-law  of  John 
Knox,  sung  it  at  two  in  the  morning  when  banished 
from  Scotland,  and  with  other  ministers  of  the  re- 
formed faith  and  a  large  concourse  of  people  sing- 
ing and  praying  with  them,  set  sail  for  France. 
Welsh's  wife  besought  the  king  for  her  husband, and 
was  offered  his  liberty  on  condition  of  his  preaching 
and  teaching  no  more.  The  brave  daughter  of  Knox 
lifted  her  apron  with  her  hands  and  said,  "  I  would 
rather  receive  his  head  here,  than  his  liberty  at  such 
a  price."     Two  young  women,  Marion  Harvey  and 


178  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

Isabel  Alison,  on  their  way  to  the  scaffold  for  the 
honor  and  name  of  Jesus,  were  annoyed  by  the 
priests  who  wished  to  thrust  their  prayers  on  them, 
and  the  one  said  to  the  other,  "  Come,  Isabel,  let  us 
sing  the  Twenty-third  Psalm,"  which  they  did;  and 
she  then  said,  "  I  am  come  here  today  for  avowing 
Christ  to  be  Head  of  His  church,  and  King  in  Zion. 

0  seek  Him,  sirs,  seek  Him,  and  ye  shall  find  Him." 
Her  companion  said  on  the  scaffold,  "  Farewell,  all 
created  comforts;  farewell, sweet  Bible  in  which  I  de- 
lighted most,  and  which  has  been  sweet  to  me  since 

1  came  to  prison;  farewell,  Christian  acquaintances; 
now  into  thy  hands  I  commit  my  spirit,  Father,  Son, 
and  Holy  Ghost."  Whereupon  the  hangman  threw 
her  over. 

When  Edward  Irving  lay  dying  he  murmured 
again  and  again  in  Hebrew,  "  The  Lord  my  Shep- 
herd." So,  too,  when  James  Inglis  was  on  his  death- 
bed this  Twenty-third  Psalm  was  read  to  him,  and 
the  dying  saint  said,  "  You  will  understand  me  as 
not  speaking  boastfully  of  myself  when  I  say  that 
every  word  you  have  read  is  personal  to  me,  per- 
sonal to  my  faith,  personal  to  my  soul.  And  now  I 
will  rest,  and  afterward  we  will  talk  of  His  mer- 
cies." 

Within  the  last  few  days  a  devoted  young  woman, 
recently  graduated  from  college  and  a  teacher  in  the 
public  schools,  was  fast  nearing  the  end.  Her  rela- 
tives and  a  few  friends  stood  round  her  bed,  when 
she  said,  "  Sing  the  Twenty-third  Psalm."  With 
choking  voices  they  began,  and  the  dying  girl  joined 
with  them,  but  had  strength  to  sing  but  a  few  words 
when  her  voice  failed.  She  said  soon  after,  **I  can 
not  see  you  well;  but  [looking  upward]  I  see  Jesus, 


PSALMS.  179 

and  many,  O  so  many  who  have  gone  before."     And 
with  the  word  glory,  she  went  away. 

Psalm  xxxi,  5,  holds  an  extraordinary  place  among 
dying   believers — **Into    thy   hands    I   commit    my 
spirit"-— the  words  rise  from  saint  after  saint.     They 
were  the  last  spoken  by  the  Lord  Jesus  on  the  cross, 
Lu.  xxiii,  46;   the  last  of   Stephen,  Acts  vii,  59;  of 
Polycarp,  Basil,  St.  Louis, Columbus,  and  of  the  poor 
Italian  prisoner  of  our  own  times,  Silvio  Pellico.  On 
the  6th  of  July,   1415,  John  Huss  of  Bohemia  was 
burned  to  death  in  a  field  near  the  ancient  city  of 
Constance,  his  safe  conduct  being  violated  by  the 
Emperor  Sigismund  for  which  the  pope  gave  absolu- 
tion.    A   brass  tablet  marks  the  spot  where  Huss 
stood.     While   seven  bishops  removed  his  priestly 
dress  piece  by  piece,  and  placed  on  his  head  a  paper 
crown   painted   with  demons,  they   addressed  him, 
"We  deliver  thy  soul  unto  Satan."  "  But  I,"  he  said, 
'♦commend    it    into  thy   hands,  Lord  Jesus   Christ, 
who  hast  redeemed  me."     One   hundred   and   thir- 
ty-one   years    after,   Luther  died    (1546).     Among 
his    last    words     were     these:     "I    pray    thee,    O 
Lord   Jesus     Christ,    to    take    my    soul    into    thy 
keeping."     Then  he  said  thrice,  "  Father,  into  thy 
hands  I  commend  my  spirit,  thou  hast  redeemed  me, 
Lord  God  of  truth."     Twenty-six  years  after  ( 1 572), 
John  Knox  died,  saying,  "  Now,  for  the  last  time,  I 
commend  my  spirit,  soul  and  body,"  touching  three 
of  his  fingers,  ''  into  thy  hand,  O  Lord."     Nearly  a 
century  after  this,  Hugh  M'Kail,  the  gifted  martyr 
of  Scotland,  took  hold  of  the  ladder  to  go  up  to  h.s 
death,  having  sung  these  same  words,  saying  as  he 
went  up,  ''I  care  no  more  to  go  up  this  ladder,  and 
over  it,  than  if  I  were  going  to  my  father  s  house. 


180  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

He  called  to  his  friends  and  fellow  sufferers  below, 
•'  Be  not  afraid.  Every  step  of  this  ladder  is  a  de- 
gree nearer  heaven." 

In  the  reign  of  Queen  Mary  (1554),  William  Hun- 
ter, nineteen  years  of  age,  was  brought  to  the  stake 
for  the  gospel,  and  recited  the  Eighty-fourth  Psalm 
while  being  bound.  When  the  fire  was  kindled,  he 
cast  his  Psalter  into  his  brother's  hand  who  said, 
"William,  think  of  the  holy  passion  of  Christ,  and 
be  not  afraid."  And  William  answered,  **  I  am  not 
afraid,"  Then,  lifting  up  his  hands  to  heaven, 
he  cried,  ''Lord,  Lord,  Lord,  receive  my  spirit." 

Jerome  Savonarola  and  his  brother  monks  chanted 
the  sixty-eighth  as  they  marched  into  the  Piazza  of 
Florence  to  meet  the  trial  of  fire  (1498).  He  spent 
the  brief  respite  allowed  him  before  his  execution  in 
meditating  on  the  fifty-first,  the  sorrowful  Miserere. 
"  O  Lord,  a  thousand  times  thou  hast  cancelled  my 
iniquities,  and  a  thousand  times  I  have  fallen,  but 
thou  wilt  yet  have  me  secure.  I  will  hope,  there- 
fore, in  the  Lord,  and  speedily  be  delivered  from 
every  trouble.  By  whose  merits?  Mine?  Never,  but 
by  thine,  O  Lord."  Luther  afterward  translated  Sav- 
onarola's meditation  with  these  memorable  words  af- 
fixed: "Although  somewhat  of  scholastic  mud  did  still 
cleave  to  the  feet  of  this  good  man,  he  nevertheless 
.upheld  justification  by  faith  without  the  works  of  the 
law,and  was  in  consequence  burned  by  the  pope.  But, 
lo,  he  lives  in  blessedness,  and  Christ  by  my  means 
now  canonizes  and  crowns  him,  even  though  the 
pope  and  the  papists  should  burst  with  rage." 

In  the  autumn  of  1689  ^  band  of  eight  hundred 
Waldenses  who  had  been  banished  from  North  Italy 
into  Switzerland  returned  to  their  valleys,  crossing 


PSALMS.  181 

the  Alps  not  far  from  the  tracks  pursued  by  Hanni- 
bal and  Napoleon.  They  were  led  by  their  hero- 
minister,  Henri  Arnaud;  and,  after  incredible  perils 
and  sufferings,  they  re-entered  their  old  homes,  sing- 
ing the  seventy-fourth  and  one  hundred  and  twen- 
ty-ninth Psalms. 

David  Livingstone  read  the  one  hundred  and 
twenty-first  and  one  hundred  and  thirty- fifth,  and 
prayed  with  his  old  father  and  sister,  as  he  set  out 
from  his  Scottish  home  for  Africa;  and  his  mother- 
in-law,  Mrs.  Moffat,  wrote  him  at  Linyanti,  on  the 
threshold  of  his  perilous  journey,  that  the  ninety-first 
and  one  hundred  and  thirty-first  Psalms  were  con- 
stantly with  her  as  she  thought  of  and  prayed  for 
him. 

*'  No  book  which  is  without  the  assurance  of  im- 
mortality could  have  cheated  so  many  dying  saints 
and  deceived  so  many  generations  of  mourners. 
There  is  not  a  pall  of  darkness  over  the  Psalms;  no 
odor  of  the  charnel-house  exhales  from  them.  The 
hopes  of  eternity  trickle  like  drops  of  light  from  the 
pens  of  their  writers.  They  come  to  us  like  the 
breath  of  violets  in  a  letter  which  reaches  us  from  a 
land  of  sunshine.  The  Easter  bells  are  always  ring- 
ing in  the  Psalter." 


PROVERBS. 

The  authorship  of  this  book  is  announced  in  the 
preface,  "  The  proverbs  of  Solomon,  the  son  of 
David,  king  of  Israel,"  i,  i.  It  is  the  first  book  of  the 
Bible  to  name  the  author  at  the  beginning.  Solomon 
lived  long  before  the  sages  of  Greece,  five  hundred 
years  before  the  "seven  wise  men,"  and  seven  hun- 
dred before  Socrates  and  Aristotle.  There  is  little 
foundation  for  the  Rabbinical  tradition  that  some  of 
the  Grecian  writers  borrowed  largely  from  Solo- 
mon, and  certainly  there  is  less  for  the  notion  that 
the  book  borrowed  from  them.  He  was  peculiarly 
qualified,  apart  from  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  to  write  such  books  as  are  ascribed  to  him  in 
the  Bible,  viz.:  Proverbs,  Ecclesiastes,  and  the  Song; 
for  he  possessed  in  an  extraordinary  degree  a  re- 
markable comprehensiveness  of  mind.  "Wisdom 
and  understanding  exceeding  much,  and  largeness 
of  heart,  even  as  the  sand  that  is  on  the  sea  shore," 
is  the  description  in  i  Kings  iv,  29.  He  was  a  philos- 
opher, a  poet,  a  botanist,  zoologist,  architect,  as  well 
as  king,  i  Kings  iv,  32-34.  His  mental  grasp  is  per- 
haps more  clearly  seen  in  his  character  as  moralist 
than  in  any  other  aspect.  Yet  he  had  very  unusual 
powers  of  analysis  and  classification.  To  Solomon 
belonged  the  rare  distinction  of  possessing  that 
subtle,  piercing  intuitiveness  of  mind  which  sees  at 
a  glance  what  others  less  gifted  reach   only  by  la- 


PROVERBS.  183 

borious  processes  of  reasoning.     To  have  this  seeing 
faculty  in  its  fullness   is  to  have  the  loftiest  human 
endowment;   and  it  was  bestowed  upon  him  in  the 
highest  degree.     His  analytical  power  is  exhibited 
in  his  thorough  acquaintance  with  and  description  of 
human  character.     In  all  its  phases  and  manifesta- 
tions;  in  its  fullness  and  poverty,  its  strength  and 
weakness,  he  is  familiar  with  it.  He  sees  the  springs 
of  all  action;  he  understands  the  motives  and  pas- 
sions and  propensities  which  sway  men  and  which 
make  them  what  they  are.     Nor  is  his  acquaintance 
with  human  character  confined  to  any  one  class,  as 
for  example,  the  ruling  class  with  which  he  was  per- 
sonally identified.     He  knows  by  an  inspired  intui- 
tion universal  man;   the  peasant  equally   well  with 
the  monarch,  the  philosopher  as  well  as  the  simpleton. 
With  swift  and  unerring  hand  he  labels  each  man 
according  to  the  character  he  has  discovered  in  him, 
and  instantly  sets  him  in  his  proper  place.     Like  the 
other   inspired   writers,   Solomon    knows   but    two 
classes  among  men:  the  righteous  and  the  wicked, 
or,  as  he  generally  designates  them,  the  wise  and  the 
fools.     He  no  sooner   fastens  his  gaze  on  a  fellow 
mortal  than  he  determines,  by  the  prevailing  temper 
he  has  detected   in  him,  to  which   company  he  be- 
longs, and  he  fixes  his  standing  accordingly. 

"  Wisdom  "  is  the  key-word,  and  i,  7,  the  kcy-vcrsc 
of  the  book. 

I.  The  proverb: — "A  master  sentence,"  "  maxim 
or  brief  sententious  saying,"  "enigmatical  utter- 
ance," etc.  Such  are  some  of  the  more  common 
definitions  of  a  proverb.  That  given  by  an  EngHsh 
statesman  is  full  of  significance — "  The  wisdom  of 
many  and  the  wit  of  one."     Proverbs  are  very  abun 


184  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

dant  among  all  peoples.  Many  of  them,  although 
they  sound  new  to  us  and  wonderfully  apposite, 
have  descended  from  the  remotest  antiquity.  Some 
arc  worthless,  many  are  wicked,  but  generally  prov- 
erbs are  the  product  of  the  wisdom  and  experience 
of  the  ages.  Those  of  this  book  are  not  only  true, 
but  given  us  by  the  unerring  Spirit  of  God,  and  of 
course  must  be  filled  with  the  best  instruction.  The 
proverb  of  the  Bible  follows  the  general  rule  of  He- 
brew poetry.  It  presents  a  great  truth  by  a  very  apt 
comparison,  or  by  a  sharp  and  striking  contrast.  A 
parable  is  truth  set  forth  in  a  lengthened  similitude 
or  narrative;  a  proverb  is  truth  in  the  form  of  a  sen- 
tentious aphorism,  a  concentrated,  pithy  and  preg- 
nant saying. 

2.  The  design  of  this  book  is  quite  clearly  indi- 
cated in  i,  2-4:  "  To  know  wisdom  and  instruction; 
to  perceive  the  words  of  understanding;  to  receive 
the  instruction  of  wisdom,  justice,  judgment  and 
equity;  to  give  subtilty  to  the  simple,  to  the  young 
man  knowledge  and  discretion."  A  noble  aim, 
worthy  of  the  Spirit  of  God.  Its  main  object  is  to 
instruct  the  believer  in  the  things. of  God;  to  furnish 
him  with  those  mighty  and  enduring  principles  ac- 
cording to  which  he  is  to  order  his  life  so  as  to 
escape  the  perils  of  the  wicked,  and  establish  his 
way  in  righteousness  and  peace.  Dr.  Arnot's  title 
for  the  book  is  a  good  description  of  its  chief  de- 
sign: "Laws  from  Heaven  for  Life  on  Earth."  It  is 
the  application  of  that  wisdom  which  created  the 
heavens  and  the  earth  to  the  details  of  life  in  this 
world  of  confusion  and  evil.  We  have  in  it  the  ways 
of  God,  the  divine  path  for  human  conduct,  and  the 
discernment  of  what  the  world  is.    It  has  to  do  with 


PKOVEKBS.  1^5 

God's  government  of  the  world,  and  with  our  own 
happiness  here,  if  we  maintain  our  earthly  relation- 
ships according  to  God.  It  keeps  turning  a  power- 
ful light  on  the  dark  and  dangerous  places;  it  un- 
folds that  deep  law  which  applies  so  universally, 
"Whatsoever  a  man  soweth,  that  shall  he  also  reap;" 
it  points  out  with  marvelous  clearness  that  a  false 
step  may  lead  to  bitter  consequences;  and  it  con- 
trasts false  ways  with  right,  the  path  of  life  with  the 
path  of  death. 

3.  Analysis  of  the  book.  It  naturally  falls  into 
two  great  sections:  (i)  Chaps,  i-ix,  which  give  the 
general  principles  in  broad  outlines;  (2)  chaps,  x- 
xxxi,  Proverbs  proper. 

A  more  particular  and  exhaustive  division  would 
arrange  the  contents  of  the  book  into  five  parts,  as 
follows: 

(i)  Chaps,  i-ix,  in  which  are  contained  wise  and 
fatherly  exhortations  addressed  mainly  to  the  young, 
together  w^ith  a  masterly  description  of  wisdom. 
The  thought  in  this  section  is  more  consecutive  than 
in  Proverbs  proper. 

(2)  Chaps,  x-xxii,  16.  Moral  aphorisms,  or  mas- 
ter sentences,  bearing  on  practical  life. 

(3)  Chaps,  xxii,  17;  xxiv,  in  which  the  method  of 
more  or  less  connected  thought  is  resumed,  as  in  the 
first  section. 

(4)  Chaps,  xxv-xxix.  The  proverbs  of  this  part  are 
said  to  be  those  of  Solomon  "  which  the  men  of 
Hezekiah,  king  of  Judah,  copied  out."  It  is  difficult, 
to  determine  precisely  what  this  statement  means. 
It  hardly  warrants  us  in  affirming  a  different  author- 
ship for  this  section.  The  sayings  are  attributed  to 
Solomon;   it  is  only  said  that  these   men  *'  copied 


186  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

out,"  arranged  and  compiled  them.  The  memory  of 
these  learned  men  of  Hezekiah's  court  is  perpetu- 
ated in  Jewish  tradition.  In  the  Talmud  they  are 
called  a  "society,"  or  **  academy,"  and  it  is  declared 
that  **  Hezekiah  and  his  academy  wrote  Isaiah, 
Proverbs,  the  Song,  and  Ecclesiastes,"  which  can 
only  mean  that  they  compiled  and  arranged  them. 
Perhaps  the  true  explanation  is,  that  the  proverbs  of 
this  section  had  been  transmitted  orally  from  Solo- 
mon to  the  time  of  Hezekiah,  and  that  the  work  of 
Hezekiah's  men  was  that  of  collecting  and  editing 
them  in  this  permanent  form.  This  view  seems  to 
be  confirmed  by  the  fact  that  many  of  the  proverbs 
of  these  chapters  are  repetitions,  with  slight  varia- 
tions, of  some  which  occur  in  the  preceding  section. 
(5)  Chaps.  XXX,  xxxi,  which  may  be  considered  as  a 
sort  of  an  appendix  to  the  whole  book,  and  of  which 
the  authorship  is  a  problem  that  cannot  be  solved. 
The  thirtieth  is  ascribed  to  Agur  the  son  of  Jakeh. 
Who  he  was  it  seems  next  to  impossible  to  determine. 
The  word  "  prophecy"  with  which  the  chapter  be- 
gins, or  oracle,  as  the  revision  translates  it,  points  to 
a  higher  character,  if  we  may  so  say,  than  other  por- 
tions of  the  book.  Verses  4,  19,  24-28,  30,  31,  remind 
one  of  Job,  while  the  oft  recurring  ''three"  and 
"  four"  recall  Amos.  The  chapter  is  addressed  to 
Ithiel  and  Ucal.  Who  they  were,  or  whether  these 
are  proper  names  or  symbolical  titles,  is  not  known. 
So  also  the  "King  Lemuel"  of  the  thirty-first  is  sup- 
posed by  the  older  students  of  the  book  to  be  an- 
other name  for  Solomon,  and  by  later  ones  as  sym- 
bolical. From  beginning  to  end,  there  is  but  one 
subject,  the  delineation  of  a  perfect  wife.  Trapp  is 
of   the  opinion   that   Lemuel   is  Solomon,  and    his 


PROVERBS.  187 

mother,  Bath-sheba,  was  the  author  of  this  surpass- 
ingly fine  description  of  the  perfect  wife. 

4.  Principal  topics  of  Proverbs. 

(i)  Wisdom,  viii.     Clearly  something  more  than 
an  attribute  is  meant  by  the  Wisdom  of  this  chapter. 
We  might  conceive  God's  wisdom  personified  using 
the  language  of  vs.  22,  but  when  we  proceed  to  vss. 
23-31,  nay,  even  to  the  end  of  the  chapter,  we  are  ir- 
resistibly led  to  think,  not  of  a  poetic  personifica- 
tion, but  of  the  personal  God  Himself,  in  His  awful 
majesty     and     holiness.     There     is    a     remarkable 
similarity  between  wisdom  as  described  here,  and 
Christ  as  He  is  set  before  us  in  the  New  Testament. 
It  is  quite  surprising  how  the  parallel  between  them 
can  be   exactly  traced.     Wisdom  is  represented  as 
dwelling  with  God  from  eternity;  so  also  is  Christ, 
Jno.  i,  I,  2.     Wisdom  is  before  all  things,  so  also  is 
Christ,  Col.  i,  17.     Wisdom   is   the   eldest  child  of 
God;  Christ  is  the  first-born  of  the  whole  creation, 
Col.  i,  15,  the  only  Begotten  of  the  Father,  Jno.  i,  14. 
Indeed,  the   parallel  may   be  followed   out  to   the 
greatest  length  and  with  the  utmost  minutia.  It  can 
not  be  reasonably  doubted,  therefore,  that  the  Wis- 
dom of  Solomon  is  identical  with  the  Lord  Jesus  of 
later   Scripture;  and  by   this   title   and   portraiture 
Solomon  adumbrated  the  God-man  Messiah. 

(2)  Filial  piety.  In  the  law  given  at  Sinai,  the 
obligation  to  honor  parents  was  placed  first  after 
duties  to  God.  It  underlay  all  morality  in  Israel.  It 
underlies  all  morality  still.  As  might  be  expected, 
this  subject  occupies  a  prominent  place  in  Proverbs; 
e.  g.,  i,  8,  9;  vi,  20,  21;  xiii,  i;    XV,  20;    xix,  26;    x.xx. 

17,  etc. 

(3)  Bad  company.     The  warnmgs  in  respect   to 


188  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

this  are  very  urgent  and  solemn,  for  they  are  of  im- 
measurable importance:  i,  lO-ig;  iv,  14-19;  xiii,  20; 
xxiv,  I,  2;  xxix,  24. 

(4)  Licentiousness.  Soiomon  calls  the  harlot  "  the 
strange  woman,"  a  title  which  reminds  one  of  "  the 
strange  gods"  which  the  prophets  so  often  and  so 
fiercely  denounce.  She  is  regarded  as  a  foreigner, 
an  alien;  for  from  the  days  of  Balaam,  when  at  his 
foul  instigation  Midianite  women  beguiled  Israel  to 
sin,  female  influence  had  again  and  again  brought 
immoral  practices  and  lewdness  into  the  land.  It 
was  by  foreign  wives  and  concubines  that  the  great 
king  himself  was  led  astray,  i  Kings  xi,  4.  She  is 
well  named — a  stranger  to  all  good,  purity,  happi- 
ness, the  foe  of  herself  and  of  all  her  kind.  The 
prevalence  and  danger  of  this  sin  are  so  great  as  to 
make  the  revelation  about  it  very  full  and  explicit: 
ii,  16-19;  V,  3-20;  vi,  23-35;  vii,  4-27;  xxii,  14. 

(5)  Intemperance.  This  and  the  sin  of  unclean- 
ness  are  twin  serpents  infinitely  more  deadly  than 
the  fabled  snakes  of  Laocoon.  Nothing  can  ex- 
ceed the  vividness  with  which  Solomon  portrays  the 
evils  of  intemperance.  No  other  Scripture  more 
abounds  with  the  details  of  its  horrors.  Here  are 
found  some  of  the  most  powerful  texts  from  which 
to  preach  against  this  dreadful  sin:  xx,  i;  xxiii,  1-3, 
29-35;  xxxi,  4-6. 

(6)  Contention.  Strifes,  disputings,  family  brawls, 
quarrels,  etc.;  their  causes  and  consequences  are 
very  fully  treated:  iii,  30;  x,  12;  xiii,  lo;  xv,  I,  2,  4, 
18;  xvi,  27,  28;  xviii,  6-8,  etc. 

(7)  Lying.  Truthfulness  and  honesty  need  to,  be 
strongly  pressed,  for  the  natural  tendency  of  men  is 
to  deceive  in  order  to  gain  an   advantage  or  elude  a 


PEOVERBS.  189 

loss;  consequently  the  book  emphatically  condemns 
such  conduct:  vi,  i6,  17;  xii,  13,  14,  21,  22;  xix,  5-9. 

(8)  The  tongue.  Bridling  the  tongue:  iv,  24;  x.iq; 
XV,  4;  xxi,  23. 

(9)  Sloth,  Paul  as  earnestly  denounces  idleness 
as  Solomon.  His  terse  and  sufficient  rule  is,  "If 
any  man  will  not  work  let  him  not  eat,"  2  Thess.  iii, 
10,  revised  version.  It  is  well  to  ponder,  in  these 
days,  the  forcible  teaching  of  Solomon:  vi,  6-1 1;  x, 
4,  5;  xiii,  4;  xxiv,  30-34. 

(10)  Pride  and  its  consequences,  viii,  13;  xi,  2; 
xvi,  18;  xxix,  23. 

(11)  Riches.  How  true  is  the  description:  xi,  4, 
28;  xxiii,  5;  xxvii,  24;  xxx,  8. 

(12)  Liberality:  iii,  9,  10;  xi,  24,  25;  xiii,  7;  xix, 17: 
"  He  that  hath  pity  on  the  poor  lendeth  unto  the 
L.ord;  and  that  which  he  hath  given  will  He  pay 
him  again,"  This  was  the  text  chosen  by  the  eccen- 
tric Rowland  Hill  for  a  "  charity  sermon"  he  had 
been  asked  to  preach.  Reading  it  slowly  and  care- 
fully to  the  congregation,^  the  preacher  began  with 
this  sentence,  "  If  ye  are  satisfied  with  the  security, 
down  with  the  dust." 


ECCLESIASTES. 

The  word  ecclesiastes  means  preacher.  The  book 
bearing  the  name  is  a  sort  of  sermon,  and  the  speaker 
is  the  son  of  David,  king  of  Jerusalem,  i,  i,  12.  If 
this  statement  of  the  book  is  accepted  as  true,  the 
question  of  its  authorship  is  settled.  There  was  but 
one  son  of  David,  humanly  speaking,  who  is  ca- 
pable of  writing  such  a  treatise  as  this,  Solomon. 

The  key-phrase  is  "  Under  the  sun;"  the  key-verse, 
1,2. 

I.  Style  of  Ecclesiastes.  The  tone  of  a  portion 
of  it  is  sorrowful  and  apparently  skeptical.  Unbe- 
lievers and  scoffers  often  appeal  to  it  as  a  sanction 
for  their  doubts  and  a  ground  of  attack  agamst  the 
general  faith  of  the  Bible.  Voltaire  and  Frederick 
the  Great  are  said  to  have  been  fond  of  certain 
parts,  especially  of  those  in  which  Solomon  records 
his  apparent  infidelity.  The  book  reads  like  the  ex- 
periences of  one  who  had  tried  the  world  to  the  utmost, 
who  had  sounded  its  lowest  depths,  and  found  it  false 
and  hollow  to  the  core,  its  pleasures  delusions,  its 
riches  transient,  its  honors  empty,  its  enjoyments  and 
happiness  Sodom  apples  that  turn  to  ashes  on  the 
lips.  Hence  its  sad  and  disappointed  tone.  In  all  the 
Bible  there  is  not  a  sadder.  The  nearest  approach 
to  it  in  this  regard  is  the  Eighty-eighth  Psalm.  A 
profound  melancholy  runs  through  it — melancholy 
which  arises  from  a  wide  survey  of  human  life  and 


ECCLESIASTES.  XJJl^ 

the  doings  of  men,  lit  up  here  and  there  with  a  faint 
gleam  of  a  brighter  hope.  The  prevailing  cry  is  that 
of  weariness  and  despair:  "Vanity  of  vanities;  van- 
ity of  vanities;  all  is  vanity."  This  feeling  of  the 
preacher  deepens  into  one  of  perplexity  and  appar- 
ent unbelief,  iii,  19;  ix,  2,  11;  etc.  It  is  just  such  a 
cry  as  we  often  hear  from  the  inquiring  and  skepti- 
cal spirits  of  our  own  age.  It  is  not  the  voice  of  ab- 
stract right,  or  truth,  or  religion,  but  the  bitter  and 
agonizing  utterance  of  one  who  has  known  much, 
felt  much,  tried  much,  been  admired  much,  and  yet 
who  has  seen  through  all  the  enormous  pretensions 
and  shams  of  the  world. 

Is  the  book  skeptical?  What  is  its  purpose?  How 
shall  we  interpret  it?  In  some  respects  it  is  difficult 
to  understand;  it  is  very  easy  to  misunderstand  it. 

2.  Its  character  is  earthly.  It  looks  at  things  as 
connected  w^ith  the  earth;  it  looks  no  higher.  The 
key  to  it  is  found  in  the  expression,  "  under  the  sun" 
— an  expression  found  twenty-eight  times  in  the 
book,  and  nowhere  else  in  the  whole  Bible.  "  Under 
the  heaven"  is  thrice  mentioned,  and  "  upon  the 
earth,"  some  seven  times.  Nearly  forty  times  docs 
the  Spirit  of  God  in  this  book  name  the  earth  and 
things  belonging  to  earth,  as  if  His  gaze  were  fast- 
ened on  this  world  alone  and  were  raised  no  higher. 
Obviously,  the  book  has  to  do  with  this  world  ex- 
clusively. It  never  gets  above  the  sun  until  the  very 
last  verses  are  reached. 

If  life  be  viewed  as  altogether  apart  from  God,  if 
it  be  contemplated  exclusively  in  its  relation  to  the 
earth,  it  becomes  inexplicable,  and  divine  Providence 
an  insoluble  problem.  Leave  God  out  of  the  affairs 
of  the  world,  and  the  conclusions  of  Solomon  must 


192  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

needs  follow  that  there  is  no  profit  under  the  sun  in 
one's  labor;  there  is  nothing  new;  wicked  men  are  in 
the  place  of  judgment;  there  is  the  oppression  of  the 
right,  the  wrong  triumphant;  folly  and  wisdom  go 
the  same  road  and  to  the  same  end;  chance  seems  to 
regulate  all  things.  In  short,  the  beginning,  middle 
and  end  of  life  becomes  vanity  and  vexation  of 
spirit.  Exclude  God  from  the  world,  and  skepticism 
and  materialism  must  be  the  inevitable  result. 

Such  is  the  chief  design  of  the  book — to  try  and 
test  things  in  order  to  prove  how  inadequate  they 
are  to  satisfy  the  deepest  and  truest  longings  of  the 
human  heart.  In  the  book  Solomon  is  experi- 
menting upon  the  problem — Can  t*he  world,  apart 
from  God,  meet  man's  need?  The  verdict  is  here 
recorded — "  all  is  vanity."  We  will  apph^c  this  prin- 
ciple to  the  book. 

3.  The  preacher  proves  vanity  "under  the  sun" 
from  his  own  experiences,  chaps,  i,  ii.  He  sets  out 
with  the  thought  of  the  world's  monotony.  Genera- 
tions come  and  go.  The  sun  rises  and  sets.  The 
winds  fly  their  rounds.  The  rivers  run  into  the  sea, 
yet  the  sea  is  not  full.  Some  of  his  observations  of 
natural  phenomena  are  far  in  advance  of  anything 
known  in  his  day  by  the  students  of  nature.  What 
he  says  about  air  currents  in  i,  6,  is  a  matter  of 
discovery  only  within  the  present  age;  and  still  more 
is  this  remark  true  of  the  statement  of  vs.  7. 
The  Mediterranean,  for  instance,  drains  in  part  three 
continents.  Into  that  sea  the  Nile,  the  Orontes,  the 
Po,  the  Rhone,  constantly  flow;  the  Atlantic  rushes 
into  it  through  one  mouth,  the  Black  Sea  pours  into 
it  through  another.  What  becomes  of  the  surplus 
water  that  is  continuously  poured  into  the  Mediter- 


ECCLESIASTES.  193 

ranean?  This  was  the  question  which  puzzled  geog- 
raphers for  centuries  At  length,  a  London  chemist 
discovered  the  secret — that  the  clouds  receive  the 
surplus:  evaporation  accounts  for  all.  How  close  is 
Solomon  to  this  solution:  "  All  the  rivers  run  into 
the  sea,  yet  the  sea  is  not  full;  unto  the  place  from 
whence  the  rivers  come,  thither  they  return."  The 
preacher  pertinently  asks,  **  Is  there  anything 
whereof  it  may  be  said,  see,  this  is  new?"  And  he 
answers  that  it  has  been  before.  All  is  a  weary  go- 
round,  nothing  but  a  shifting  of  the  old  materials,  a 
tiresome  repetition,  till  life  itself  stiffens  into  dread- 
ful monotony.  "  Nothing  new  under  the  sun"— 
"  vanity." 

The  preacher  made  proof,  next,  of  pleasure  as 
promising  satisfaction  for  the  soul,  ii,  1-3.  Mirth, 
amusements,  wine,  were  tried.  He  gave  banquets, 
balls,  had  shows  and  displays  of  every  kind,  and  no 
doubt  gained  for  himself  the  title  of  the  "  Merry 
Monarch."  But  it  was  sheer  failure— vanity  he 
wrote  upon  this  effort. 

He  then  tried  riches,  and  the  peculiar  treasure  of 
kings,  as  likewise  the  gratification  of  his  ciesthctic 
tastes,  ii,  4-1 1.  He  builded  and  planted,  adorned 
and  beautified.  At  his  command  palaces  arose, 
fountains  played,  servants  attended  and  musicians 
regaled  his  leisure  hours.  He  affected  art,  increased 
hi£  wealth  and  rejcJced  in  the  success  of  his  splen- 
did projects.  But  once  more  complete  disappoint- 
ment was  the  issue—'*  all  was  vanity  and  a  striving 

after  wind."  ,,  r      r 

His  weariness  and  disgust  ensued,  11,  12-2O.     Con 
fused,  perplexed   at   the   strange   inexplicable   fact 
that  the  wise  man  and  the  fool  apparently  fare  alike 


194:  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

under  the  sun,  that  they  travel  the  same  road,  he 
"  hated"  life,  took  no  pleasure  in  it,  saw  no  advan- 
tage in  it.  With  the  pessimistic  spirits  of  our  rest- 
less age,  Solomon  is  perilously  near  answering  the 
question,  Is  life  worth  living? — in  the  negative.  And 
no  wonder.  A  soul  made  for  God,  striving  to  feed 
itself  on  husks,  and  seeking  to  gratify  its  infinite  long- 
ings on  things  under  the  sun,  can  do  no  otherwise 
than  become  at  length  weary  and  disgusted  with  it 
all,  and  wish  itself  well  out  of  the  world. 

4.  The  preacher  proves  vanity  under  the  sun 
from  his  wide  observation,  iii-viii,  15. 

He  observes,  first  of  all,  the  regularity  and  un- 
changeableness  of  natural  law,  iii.  Immutable 
continuity,  inexorable  law;  men  and  beasts  are  alike 
in  the  presence  of  these  mighty  forces;  one  event 
befalls  both;    "as  the  one  dieth,  so  dieth  the  other." 

He  next  notes  the  wrongs  and  injustices  practiced 
in  the  world,  iv.  Oppression,  tyranny,  envy,  strife, 
division,  they  are  to  be  seen  everywhere,  and  the 
roots  of  them,  too,  insatiable  greed. 

Observations  on  religion,  on  riches,  and  the  use- 
lessness  of  money  as  a  means  to  satisfy  the  soul, 
follow,  V,  vi. 

He  next  looks  upon  the  inequality  of  rewards  and 
punishments  of  the  righteous  and  wicked  under  the 
sun,  vii,  viii,  15,  the  problem  which  has  puzzled  God's 
people  through  all  time.  (Note  vii,  15;  viii,  14,  which 
open  this  part  of  the  book.) 

5.  The  preacher's  perplexity  and  apparent  skep- 
ticism, viii,  i6-xi.  Let  the  reader  ponder  over 
chaps,  viii,  14,  15;  ix,  2-6;  x,  5-11;  xi,  8-10;  and  he 
will  discover  that  the  wisest  of  men,  Solomon,  was 
totally  unable  to  unravel  the  mysteries  by  which  he 


ECCLESIASTES.  195 

was  surrounded  under  the  sun.  He  even  goes  the 
length  of  seeming  to  affirm  that  death  ends  all,  that 
there  is  little,  if  any,  difference  in  the  treatment  of 
the  righteous  and  the  wicked  here.  With  all  their 
boasted  progress  the  men  of  our  times  who  live  only 
under  the  sun  have  gotten  no  further.  Life  and  its 
vicissitudes,  viewed  only  as  to  this  world  and  sphere 
(under  the  sun)  become  for  the  strongest  intellect 
a  tangled  web  whose  meshes  no  mortal  hand  can 
disengage.  Is  it  really  surprising  that  the  philoso- 
phers who  speculate  as  to  things  under  the  sun, 
should  at  length  in  a  sort  of  desperation  declare  the 
problem  insoluble  and  name  themselves  very  fit- 
tingly, agnostics — know-nothings?  The  experiment 
of  Solomon,  alas,  is  being  made  by  multitudes  even 
in  our  day,  and  with  the  like  result — "  vanity  and 
vexation  of  spirit." 

6.  The  solution,  xii,  13,  14.  Here  Solomon  gets 
above  the  sun  and  things  begin  at  once  to  disen- 
tangle and  straighten.  The  "  fear  of  God"  is  the 
Old  Testament  description  of  the  New  Testament 
'•love  of  God."  Love  God,  obey  Him,  trust  Him 
and  all  will  be  well  with  you,  for  the  judgment  ap- 
proaches in  which  all  wrongs  will  be  righted  and  all 
mysteries  cleared  up,  and  you  will  be  made  glad 
with  a  joy  unspeakable.  This  is  the  key  of  the  book. 
Live  under  the  sun,  rise  no  higher  and  doubt  and 
unbelief  will  ensue.  Live  above  the  sun,  spend 
the  days   with  God,  and  light  and  peace   you  shall 

have. 

Dr.  McCook  imagines  a  conversation  between  a 
bird  and  a  mole  which  has  pushed  its  head  out  of  the 
ground:  ''What  are  you  making  such  a  noise 
about?"  he  asked   the   bird  as  it  was  swinging  and 


196  OUTLINE   STUDIES. 

singing  on  a  branch  of  the  tree.  "  O,  the  sunshine, 
the  trees,  the  grasses,  the  shining  stream  yonder,  and 
the  white  clouds  on  the  mountain  side.  The  world 
is  full  of  beauty."  "  Nonsense!"  said  Mr.  Mole.  '*  I 
have  lived  longer  in  the  world  than  you  have,  and  I 
have  gone  deeper  into  it;  I  have  traversed  it  and 
tunneled  it,  and  I  know  what  I  am  talking  about, 
and  I  tell  you  there  is  nothing  in  it  but  fishing 
worms."  Let  a  man  live  "  under  the  sun,"  let  him 
burrow  in  the  earth  and  strive  to  get  satisfaction  for 
his  soul  out  of  it  and  he  will  have  the  experience  of 
the  mole.  There  will  come  the  time,  the  bitter  hour, 
when  he  will  say  with  plash  of  tears  and  sobs  of  se- 
cret longing,  "  My  soul  hath  no  pleasure  in  it,"  "  I 
hate  my  life."  But  let  him  rise  above  the  sun  and 
bask  in  the  splendor  of  God's  light  and  presence 
and  he  will  sing. 

Ecclesiastes  may  be  regarded  as  a  sermon:  Text, 
i,  2,  3. 

Part  First. — lext  proved: 

1.  By  the  preacher's  experience,  chaps,  i,  ii. 

2.  By  his  observation,  chaps,  iii,  iv. 
Part  Second. — Text  unfolded: 

1.  The  miseries  of  life. 

2.  The  hypocrisies  of  life. 

3.  The  wrongs  and  injustices  of  life 

4.  The  riches  and  poverty  of  life. 

5.  The  uncertainties  of  life. 

6.  The  best  way  to  get  on  through  this  dangerous 
life. 

7.  Live  above  the  sun  and  all  will  be  well- 


THE  SONG. 

Angus  assigns  this  book  of  Scripture  to  B.C.  looi. 
The  universal  voice  of  antiquity  ascribes  it  to  Solo- 
mon, and  internal  evidence  confirms  this  testimony. 
His  songs  were  a  thousand  and  five,  i  Kings  iv,  32; 
and  this  is  called  the  "  song  of  songs,"  because  the 
best  of  them  all. 

Key-word,  "  Beloved";  key-verse,  vi,  3. 

Origen  and  Jerome  tell  us  that  the  Jews  forbade 
it  to  be  read  by  any  until  he  was  thirty  years  old.  It 
certainly  needs  a  degree  of  spiritual  maturity  to 
enter  aright  into  the  holy  mystery  of  love  which  it 
celebrates.  It  is  possible  to  read  the  song  amiss; 
but  to  such  as  have  attained  spiritual  maturity,  of 
what  age  soever,  it  is  one  of  the  most  edifying  of 
the  sacred  writings. 

Love  to  Jesus  Christ  becomes,  through  the  sanc- 
tifying influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  strongest 
passion  which  can  sway  the  human  heart.  Avarice, 
ambition,  love  of  power  may  have  more  of  the  un- 
natural vigor  attending  fever;  this  carries  with  it  the 
quiet,  enduring  energy  of  health  that  brings  into 
captivity  every  thought  to  the  obedience  of  Christ. 
Those  alone  who  have  experienced  the  power  of 
this  love  in  its  intensity  are  competent  judges 
whether  any  language  used  in  expressing  it  may  be 
exaggerated.  If  the  love  of  God  to  us  is  as  incom- 
prehensible as  is  His  eternity  and  omnipresence,  it  is 
not   surprising   that  the   love   of    a  grateful  heart 


198  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

should  struggle  and  strive  to  declare  itself  by  ap- 
pealing to  the  tenderest  ties,  by  using  the  boldest 
imagery;  for  the  love  of  a  believer  is  but  a  dim  re- 
flection of  the  measureless  love  of  God. 

1.  The  form  of  the  song  is  somewhat  difficult  to 
determine.  A  drama  it  certainly  is  not,  although  it 
has  been  thus  described.  It  presents  little  or 
nothing  of  the  features  belonging  to  the  drama. 
While  dialogue  is  found  in  it,  still  it  is  not  of  a  very 
sustained  kind,  nor  is  it  very  marked.  The  feature 
chiefly  lacking  is  a  climax,  the  culminating y?mV  with 
which  the  drama  is  expected  to  close.  Its  form 
seems  to  be  that  of  a  pastoral  poem,  with  charac- 
ters presenting  quasi- dramatic  action.  The  person- 
ages introduced  into  it  are  the  bridegroom  and  king; 
the  bride,  or  spouse;  the  daughters  of  Jerusalem,  or 
the  court  ladies  of  Solomon's  palace.  There  is 
scarcely  traceable  any  plot,  nor  dramatic  unity,  al- 
though the  poem  is  one.  Most  of  the  addresses,  in- 
stead of  being  dialogues,  are  soliloquies,  apos- 
trophes, or  monologues.  It  has  changing  scenes. 
Sometimes  the  scene  is  laid  in  a  garden;  at  others  in 
the  palace;  then  in  the  country  amid  pastoral  quiet 
and  beauty;  and  in  Jerusalem  amidst  the  noise  of  a 
great  city. 

This  much  may  be  confidently  asserted,  that  it  is  a 
song  of  love  in  Oriental  language  and  imagery,  with 
rests  and  pauses  and  varying  scenery  and  conversa- 
tion. 

2.  The  design  of  the  song.  There  are  three  in- 
terpretations of  the  poem  advanced  by  as  many 
schools  of  expositors.  Each  of  these  may  be  briefly 
mentioned. 

The  first  is  that  of  the  merely  literal  and  erotic. 


SONGS.  199 

That  is,  it  is  held  that  the  poem  celebrates  the  love 
of  Solomon  for  a  young  shepherdess  who  was  a 
member  of  an  agricultural  family  consisting  of  a 
widowed  mother  and  several  sons,  who  lived  at 
Shulem.  (The  name  of  the  place  is  derived  from  the 
spouse,  viz.,  Shulemite.)  The  young  woman,  in  the 
course  of  her  pastoral  duties,  met  with  a  shepherd  to 
whom,  in  due  time,  she  became  espoused.  Her 
brothers  violently  opposed  the  union.  She  was  in- 
vited by  her  lover  to  accompany  him  to  the  fields; 
but  her  brothers,  to  prevent  the  meeting,  sent  her  to 
take  care  of  the  vineyards.  Here,  she  one  day  en- 
countered King  Solomon,  who,  assisted  by  his  court 
ladies,  endeavored  to  win  her  love.  But  she  re- 
mained steadfast  to  her  affianced.  The  king  carried 
her  to  the  city,  made  her  large  promises  and  sought 
to  overcome  her  scruples  by  princely  presents;  but 
without  avail;  and  her  fidelity  was  finally  rewarded 
by  her  marriage  with  the  shepherd  and  gifts  from 
her  reconciled  brothers. 

According  to  this  theory  the  scope  of  the  book  is 
to  give  us  an  *'  example  of  virtue  in  a  young  woman 
who  encountered  and  conquered  great  temptations, 
and  was  eventually  rewarded."  If  this  is  all,  belief 
in  its  inspiration  must  be  dismissed;  and  it  has  no 
better  right  to  a  place  in  the  Bible  than  a  tale  from 
the  Arabian  Nights,  or  the  sonnets  from  Shake- 
speare. Against  this  theory  there  are  strong  objec- 
tions: (I)  It  has  been  doubted  whether  there  was 
such  a  place  as  Shulem  whence  the  spouse  derived 
her  name  of  the  Shulemite.  (2)  It  seems  obvious 
that  if  we  accept  this  view  of  the  book  as  true,  then 
we  must  renounce  the  belief  in  Solomon's  bemg  the 
author;    for  it  is  altogether  unlikely  that  he  could 


200  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

have  written  so  manifest  an  account  of  his  own  de- 
feat. (3)  The  vast  majority  of  Bible  students  see 
no  ground  or  foundation  for  the  story  detailed  above. 
They  find  no  shepherd  in  it;  no  betrothal  of  the 
Shulcmite  with  a  shepherd;  no  effort  on  the  part  of 
the  king  to  supplant  another  in  her  affections  and  ' 
steal  her  from  him.  In  short,  the  story  on  which 
this  view  rests  is  pure  fiction.  (4)  If  it  be  no  more 
than  a  love-poem  celebrating  one  of  Solomon's 
amours  it  is  incredible  that  it  should  have  been  in- 
corporated with  the  other  books  of  the  Bible,  and 
for  so  many  centuries  held  its  place  with  the  other 
inspired  books  as  one  of  them.  It  was  in  the  Old 
Testament  canon  when  the  Septuagint  version  was 
made,  two  hundred  and  fifty  years  before  the  advent 
of  the  Savior;  it  has  kept  its  place  there  ever  since. 
If  it  is  only  a  **  dissolute  love  song  "  God  would  have 
found  a  way  to  cast  it  out  of  His  Book  ages  ago, 
like  the  Apocraphal  books.  (5)  The  strange  and 
strong  hold  it  has  had  upon  some  of  the  most  spirit- 
ually minded  men  the  world  has  ever  seen — men  like 
Rutherford,  McCheyne,  Gill,  Moody,  Stuart,  John 
and  Thomas  Goodwin — is  inexplicable  if  the  song 
be  nothing  more  than  this  hypothesis  offers.  We 
must  reject  this  theory. 

The  second  view  we  mention  which  has  been 
put  forward  as  an  explanation  of  the  design  of  the 
book  is  called  the  moral.  The  song  is  regarded  as 
a  description  of  wedded  love  in  the  exercise  of  its 
highest  and  purest  affections.  In  this  interpretation 
no  spiritual  sense  is  attached  to  the  poem.  The 
great  moral  sentiments  relating  to  the  holy  estate  of 
marriage  alone  are  intended  to  be  inculcated.  The 
foundation  for  this   opinion   rests  on  the  union  of 


SONGS.  201 

Solomon  with  the  daughter  of  Pharaoh.  It  is  held 
that  the  poem  sings  the  praises  of  that  princess,  and 
celebrates  the  happiness  the  king  enjoyed  in  union 
with  her. 

There  are  very  grave  objections  which  may  be 
urged  against  this  theory.  We  may  safely  assert 
that  the  Egyptian  princess  is  not  meant  at  all  nor 
can  be  meant  by  the  Shulemite.  Some  of  the  difti- 
culties  that  lie  against  it  may  be  stated.  The  deli- 
cate daughter  of  the  haughty  Pharaoh  could  not  in 
any  supposable  manner  have  ever  been  the  sun- 
burnt keeper  of  the  vineyards,  as  the  spouse  is  de- 
scribed to  have  been,  ch.  i,  6.  She  could  not  have 
been  unveiled  and  beaten  by  the  watchman  of  Jeru- 
salem, V,  7.  She  could  not  have  come  from  the 
snowy  heights  of  Lebanon  when  she  had  no  occa- 
sion to  be  within  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles  of 
its  base,  iv,  8.  And  it  is  very  unlikely  that  she  con- 
ducted Solomon  into  her  mother's  house,  which  was 
in  Egypt,  iii,  4. 

Moreover,  on  this  theory  it  is  impossible  to  ac- 
count for  the  remarkable  situation  of  the  spouse. 
She  is  found  wandering  through  the  streets  of  the 
great  city  by  night;  is  smitten  by  watchmen;  her 
veil  is  torn  rudely  from  her  face,  the  gravest  in- 
sult that  could  be  offered  an  Eastern  woman.  In 
fact,  her  whole  conduct  is  utterly  irreconcilable  with 
the  Oriental  ideas  of  womanly  seclusion  and  mod- 
esty. If  this  spouse  is  a  veritable  woman,  having 
the  experience  here  ascribed  to  her,  then  her  char- 
acter is  altogether  incompatible  with  Eastern  habits 
of  decorum,  and  is  questionable. 

The  third  view  is,  that  the  song  is  an  allegory, 
that  unde-  the  guise  of  human  love,  the  love  which 


202  OUTLINE   STUDIES. 

passes  between  two  loyal  and  faithful  hearts,  is  set 
forth  the  intimate,  tender  relationship  existing  be- 
tween Christ  and  His  people.  The  frame,  we  may 
reverently  say,  is  human  conjugal  affection.  But 
through  this  thin,  skillfully  carved  lattice-work 
there  glance  out  upon  us  the  joy  and  bliss,  the  rapt- 
ure and  ecstacy,  the  strange,  tender  wondrous  play 
of  the  deep  abiding  love  of  Jesus  for  His  own,  and 
reciprocally,  theirs  for  Him.  The  Chaldee  Targum, 
the  oldest  Jewish  commentary  on  the  book,  entitles 
it,  "  The  Songs  and  Hymns  which  Solomon  the 
Prophet,  King  of  Israel,  Delivered  by  the  Spirit  of 
Prophecy,  before  Jehovah,  the  Lord  of  the  Whole 
Earth."  The  great  body  of  Christians  have  always 
regarded  it  as  a  symbolical  exhibition  of  the  rela- 
tions subsisting  between  the  Lord  and  His  people. 
From  first  to  last,  orthodox  believers  hold  it  bears 
the  stamp  of  the  allegory.  In  support  of  this  view 
the  following  arguments  may  be  urged:  (i)  It  best 
accounts  for  the  position  of  the  book  in  the  canon 
of  Scripture.  (2)  It  accords  with  the  instincts  of 
the  spiritually-minded.  (3)  The  names  of  its  prin- 
cipal characters  indicate  that  it  is  an  allegory — 
Shalo?noh,  Solomon,  the  peaceful  one,  the  prince  of 
peace,  and  Sliulamith,  also  the  peaceful  one,  but 
feminine — the  daughter  of  peace.  These  names  are 
believed  to  be  as  suggestive,  as  significant,  as  Bun- 
yan's  "Christian"  and  "Christiana,"  or  "Faithful" 
and  "  Hopeful."  Read  in  this  light,  we  perceive 
how  appropriately  the  book  represents  Jesus  as  the 
peaceful  one,  the  peace-bringer,  and  His  people  as 
the  sharers  of  His  peace,  those  to  whom  He  gives 
peace.  (4)  The  fancifulness  of  some  of  the  scenes 
and  situations  render  a  literal  interpretation  absurd 


SONGS.  208 

and  impossible.  See,  for  exampie,  ii,  14-17;  iii,  1-4; 
vi,  4-7;  iv,  8.  The  Shulemite  is  in  the  clefts  of  the 
rock,  in  the  concealments  of  the  precipices;  the 
bridegroom  is  in  the  garden,  beyond  the  mountains, 
in  the  distant  fields.  The  bride  sleeps,  the  lover 
knocks  at  her  door  in  the  stillness  of  the  night- 
withdraws  when  he  receives  no  answer  to  his  call. 
She  in  her  remorse  arises  and  wanders  about  the 
streets  of  the  city.  The  rapid  transitions,  the  re- 
markable situations  indicate  that  the  poem  is  an  al- 
legory. (5)  This  interpretation  harmonizes  best 
with  the  Old  Testament  representations  of  the  rela- 
tion between  God  and  His  people.  This  relation  is 
often  set  forth  as  one  of  wedlock.  The  prophets, 
Jeremiah,  Ezekiel,  Hosea,  in  particular,  make  the 
marriage  covenant  existing  between  the  Lord  and 
Israel  the  ground  of  their  passionate  appeals.  Nor 
is  the  New  Testament  silent  as  to  this  relation.  The 
union  and  reciprocal  love  of  Christ  and  the  church 
are  described  in  language  closely  akin  to  that  of  the 
song,  "  He  is  the  Bridegroom  who  hath  the  Bride." 
They  rejoice  in  each  other.  Their  delights  are 
mutual,  identical,  Matt,  ix,  15;  John  iii,  29;  2  Cor.xi, 
2;  Eph.  v,  25-32;  Rev.  xix,  7-9;  xxi,  7-27. 

The  sudden  pronominal  changes  indicate  that  the 
song  is  an  allegory.  "  Draw  me,  we  will  run  after 
thee."  "  The  King  hath  brought  me  into  His  cham- 
bers; we  will  be  glad  and  rejoice  in  thee,"  i,  4.  The 
bride's  name  is  not  that  of  a  single  individual,  but  is 
collective.  She  is  the  "  daughter  of  Zion." 

3.  The  teaching  of  the  Song  we  hold  is  the  fol- 
lowing: 

(i)  The  bridegroom  is  the  Messiah,  the  Re- 
deemer. 


20-4  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

(2)  The  b  ride,  His  people. 

(3)  The  daughters  of  Jerusalem,  are  the  friends  of 
both,  Jno.  iii,  29. 

(4)  The  Song  describes  the  love  which  exists  be- 
tween them.  The  fountain  of  all  love  for  Christ  is 
His  love  to  us.  To  know  His  love  is  to  love  Him 
in  return,  i  Jno.  iv,  19. 

(5)  The  time  when  the  Song  has  its  fulfillment  is 
always.  But  it  is  believed  that  it  will  have  a  pecu- 
liar accomplishment  in  that  day  when  the  Jews  are 
again  restored  to  God's  favor  and  fellowship — and 
for  the  second  time  the  marriage  bond  is  ratified  and 
sealed,  never  again  to  be  violated,  Hos.  i,  ii;  Rom. 
xi,  26-29. 

(6)  Traits  of  Christ's  love.  It  is  imconditio?ial,  chap. 
1,  2-6;  comp.  Rom.  v,  8.  Irresistible,  ii,  8;  comp.  i 
John  iv,  10.  Intense,  ii,  9,  10;  comp.  John  xiv,  1-3. 
Sheltering  and  protective,  ii,  14,  15;  comp.  Ps.  xci,  1-6. 
Exacting,  v,  2;  comp.  Eph.  v,  i,  2.  Jealous,  v,  6; 
comp.  Rev.  iii,  20. 

(7)  Traits  of  a  believer's  love.  His  self-depreciakng, 
I.  5.  lager  for  conwninion,  ii,  1-7.  Sometimes  i?iter- 
nipted,  iii,  i.  Sornnvful,  v,  6,  7.  Intermittent,  v,  i,  2. 
Self-sacrificing,,  iii,  2,  3. 

4.  Structure  and  summary  of  contents:  (Moody 
Stewart.) 

Canto  One.— Subject,  the  bride  seeking  and  find- 
ing the  king. 

1.  The  king  sought,  chap,  i,  2-8. 

2.  The  king  found,  i,  9;  ii,  7. 

Canto  Two.  Subject,  the  sleeping  bride  awak- 
ened. 

1.  Call  to  meet  the  bridegroom,  ii,  8-15. 

2.  Response  of  the  bride,  16;  iii,  ii,  5. 


SONGS. 


205 


Canto  Three.     Subject,  the  bridegroom  with  the 
bride. 

1.  The  king  in  his  bridal  chariot,  iii,  6-11 

2.  The  beauty  of  the  bride,  iv,  1-7. 

3.  Garden  of  spices,  iv,  8;  v,  2. 

Canto    Four.     Subject,    bridegroom's   withdrawal 
and  reappearance. 

1.  Sleep  and  sorrow,  v,  3;  vi,  3. 

2.  Bridegroom's  return,  vi,  4-10. 

3.  Glory  of  the  bride,  vi,  11;  vii,  lO. 

4.  Garden  in  the  fields,  vii,  11;  viii,  4. 

Canto  Five.     Subject,  the  little  sister,  viii,  5"I4" 


'Slilslljil^ 

mmm 

liiiiii 


PROPHECY. 

The  subject  of  prophecy  is  a  vast  and  important 
one.  It  occupies  a  most  prominent  place  in  the 
Hiblc.  It  is  found  in  almost  every  portion  of  the 
Word  of  God.  Sixteen  books  (i.  e.,  if  we  reckon 
Lamentations  as  a  part  of  Jeremiah)  of  the  Old 
Testament  are  devoted  to  it,  and  one  of  the  New, 
Revelation.  The  moral  instruction  it  contains,  the 
momentous  events  it  announces,  the  revelation  of 
the  divine  character  and  of  the  nature,  establishment, 
and  purpose  of  the  kingdom  of  God,  which  it 
affords,  all  combine  to  invest  it  with  the  profound- 
cst  interest.  Before  entering  upon  a  study  of  the 
prophetic  books,  some  observations  on  the  general 
subject  seem  to  be  required. 

Happily  the  Bible  itself  furnishes  us  an  authorita- 
tive dcfmition  of  the  office  and  function  of  the 
prophet.  In  Ex.  vii,  I,  we  are  told  "the  Lord  said 
unto  Moses,  See,  I  have  made  thee  a  god  to 
Pharaoh;  and  Aaron,  thy  brother,  shall  be  thy 
prophet."  No  statement  could  be  clearer  than  this. 
By  divine  appointment  Moses  was  to  be  in  the  place 
of  God  to  Pharaoh,  and  Aaron  was  to  act  as  the 
j)rophet  of  Moses,  receiving  from  him  the  message 
:uul  delivering  it  to  the  king.  This  is  further  illus- 
trated in  Ex.  iv,  15,  16,  where  Moses  was  directed  to 
"  speak"  to  Aaron,  '*  and  put  words  into  his  mouth," 
the  Lord  promising  at  the  same  time  to  be  with  the 


PEOPHECY.  207 

mouths  of  both  His  servants  and  to  teach  them  what 
they  should  do.  Furthermore,  Aaron  was  to  be 
Moses'  spokesman  unto  the  people,  i.  e,  he  was  to 
act  the  part  of  the  prophet  for  Moses,  and  Moses 
was  to  be  to  him  instead  of  God. 

Here,  then,  we  have  the  Scriptural  definition  of 
the  prophet.  He  was  one  who  received  a  message 
from  God  and  delivered  it  to  those  for  whom  it  was 
intended.  He  was  God's  ''spokesman"  and 
"  mouth,"  the  bearer  and  proclaimer  of  the  Lord's 
will.  He  was  ''  the  man  of  God;"  his  message  the 
word  of  God.     Through  him  God  spake,  Heb.  i,  i. 

Prophecy  sprang  from  man's  exigencies.     It  had 
its  origin  in  man's  sore  need;  its  birth  was  in  the  day 
of   his  sin  and  apostasy.     The  first  great  predictive 
promise,  that  which   stands  at  the  head   of   all  the 
rest  and  leads  the  long  procession,  was  given  after 
the  fall,  and  because  of  the  fall,  Gen.  iii,  15.     Mercy 
and  grace  prompted  it,  but  the  ruin  wrought  by  sin 
was  its  occasion.     It  was  mainly  in  consequence  of 
Israel's  rejection  of  God  as  their  glorious  King,  and 
their  determination  to  have  a  king  from  among  them- 
selves and  like  themselves  that  Samuel  and  the  proph- 
ets that  follow  after  came  into  such  prominence.    It 
wasbecauseof  the  apostasy  of  the  chosen  people  and 
the  tremendous  afflictions  which  befell  them  on  ac- 
count of  it  that  the  ministries  of  Jeremiah,  Ezekiel, 
and  Daniel  assumed  such  vast  importance,  and  be- 
came   so     significant    in     all    succeeding    history. 
Prophecy,    therefore,    implies   failw-e.     Had    there 
been  no   sin,  prophecy  would  probably  have  never 
been  given,  because  not  needed.     The  apostle  Peter 
exhorts  believers  to  take  heed  to  the  word  of  proph- 
ecy more  confirmed  "  as  unto  a  light  that  shineth  in 


208  OUTLINE   STUDIES. 

a  dark  place,  until  the  day  dawn  and  the  day-star 
arise  in  your  hearts,"  2  Pet.  i,  19.  "A  lamp  shining 
in  a  dark  place"  is  the  inspired  description  of  the 
nature  and  object  of  prophecy.  It  was  when  Israel 
was  apostatizing  from  God  that  the  prophets  ap- 
peared, uttered  their  solemn  warnings  and  made 
their  passionate  appeals.  It  was  when  Jesus  knew 
that  the  nation  had  determined  on  His  rejection  and 
murder  that  He  announced  the  overthrow  of  the 
temple,  the  dismemberment  and  dispersion  of  the 
chosen  people.  It  was  when  the  Spirit  of  God  had 
detected  the  germs  of  declension  and  apostasy  in 
the  professing  Christian  church  that  He  revealed 
the  guilt,  tribulation,  and  doom  of  the  unfaithful 
body. 

One  great  aim  of  prophecy  was  to  testify  against 
the  defections  and  corruptions  of  the  prophet's  own 
times,  and  to  arrest  and  correct  them.  Thus,  Elijah, 
Elisha,  Hosea,  Amos  and  others  bore  a  faithful  wit- 
ness against  the  increasing  wickedness  of  the  kings' 
and  people  of  Israel  (the  northern  kingdom),  and 
their  tone  deepened  in  intensity  and  earnestness  in 
proportion  as  the  evils  grew  and  the  end  drew  on. 
So,  too,  the  prophets  of  Judah  cried  aloud  and 
spared  not  in  their  efforts  to  check  and  turn  back 
the  tide  of  evil,  but  in  vain;  and  Jeremiah  sings  at 
length  the  mournful  dirge  that  tells  of  Judah 's  fall. 
Accordingly,  the  prophet's  message  often  originated 
from  the  circumstances  and  the  exigencies  of  his 
own  times,  and  often  likewise  was  addressed  to  the 
men  of  his  own  generation.  But  this  is  not  an  in- 
variable rule.  There  is  no  traceable  connection  be- 
tween the  temporal  conditions  of  Micah  and  the 
prediction  of  the  birth-place  of  Messiah,  Micah  v,  2. 


PROPHECY.  209 

Nor  is  it  possible  to  find  any  relation  between  the 
circumstances  in  the  life  of  the  writer  of  Psalm 
twenty-two  and  the  unique  experiences  therein  de- 
tailed. The  same  remark  holds  in  the  instances 
of  the  covenant  and  promises  made  to  Abraham, 
Gen.  XV,  xxii.  The  seven  great  prophetic  parables 
of  Matt,  xiii,  properly  speaking,  have  no  "  historical 
setting,"  as  the  pet  phrase  runs.  It  is  a  very  serious 
mistake  to  tie  up  the  messages  of  the  prophets  to 
their  own  times,  and  attempt  to  exhaust  their  con- 
tents in  their  application  to  the  prophet's  contem- 
poraries. 

The  prophets  were  predictors  of  future  events. 
They  were  the  deliverers  of  the  divine  communica- 
tions not  only  as  to  the  moral  state  of  the  men  of 
the  prophet's  own  generation,  but  more  especially 
as  to  God's  purposes  in  the  future.  Often,  in  fact 
almost  invariably,  the  messages  of  the  prophets  to 
the  people  of  their  own  day  are  intermingled  with 
announcements  of  events  to  be  realized  in  the  dis- 
tant future.  Such,  for  example,  are  many  of  the 
predictions  of  Isaiah,  of  almost  all  of  Daniel,  of  our 
Lord's  Olivet  prophecy,  Matt,  xxiv,  xxv,  and  the 
Apocalypse  of  John. 

Each  prophet  had  both  a  distinct  call  to  the  office, 
and  a  message  to  deliver.  Both  were  from  God. 
No  man  could  assume  it,  self-appointed;  much  less 
could  he  originate  his  message.  For  Moses,  see 
Ex.  iii,  2;  Samuel,  i  Sam.  iii,  10;  Isa.  vi,  8;  Jer.  i,  5; 
Ezek.  ii,  4;  Dan.  ii,  19-23,  etc. 

The  outline  of  the  general  subject  may  be  sum- 
marized as  follows: 

I.  Prophecy  is  a  miracle  of  knowledge.  That  is, 
it  is  an  accurate  foreseeing  and  foretelling  of  future 


210  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

events  so  that  men  may  perceive  that  human  sagac- 
ity, political  forecasting,  induction  by  the  reason, 
and  intuition,  could  by  no  possibility  of  exertion  or 
premeditation  ever  predict.  Biblical  prophecy  is 
not  an  inference  from  existing  data — nor  a  deduc- 
tion. Much  less  is  it  a  generalization  from  known 
facts  or  shrewd  guessing.  As  it  is  from  God  who 
knows  the  end  from  the  beginning  it  can  only  be  a 
divine  revelation.  A  true  prophecy  is  authenticated 
by  its  fulfillment,  and  remains  always  a  monument 
of  its  own  origin  and  truth.  Deut.  xiii,  1-3;  xviii, 
20-22;  Jer.  xxviii,  1-9. 

2.  It  must  have  been  uttered  as  a  prophecy  from 
the  beginning.  A  conjecture,  or  a  happy  coincidence, 
is  excluded.  An  inspired  prediction  is  intentionally 
given  as  such,  because  God,  its  Author,  knows  pre- 
cisely what  the  event  predicted  shall  be,  and  He  has 
the  power  and  wisdom  to  secure  its  accomplish- 
ment. 

3.  It  must  have  a  definite  meaning,  and  inculcate 
a  moral  truth.  All  prophecy  is  a  revelation  of  the 
perfections  and  purposes  of  God. 

4.  It  must  be  worthy  of  God.  The  puerilities  and 
silliness  so  often  associated  with  sooth-saying  can 
have  no  place  in  predictions  which  come  from  God. 

5.  While  it  is  perspicuous,  it  is  not  so  detailed  and 
minute  as  to  suggest  to  human  agents  ways  and 
methods  of  working  out  its  accomplishment. 

In  the  study  of  prophecy  it  should  be  borne  in 
mind  that  it  is  marked  by  a  certain  progress.  This 
is  true  indeed  of  the  whole  Bible.  It  is  a  book  of 
growth.  The  "  sundry  times  and  divers  manners"  of 
Heb.  i,  I,  indicates  this  fact.  Gradually,  by  piece- 
meal as  we  might  say,  God  gave  forth  His  commun- 


PROPHECY.  211 

ications  to  the  people    through  His  servants,  the 
prophets. 

The  progress  referred  to  is  particularly  noticeable 
in  the  predictions  relating  to  the  Messiah,  the  prom- 
ised Deliverer.  At  first  His  coming  is  made  public 
and  promiscuous.  He  might  be  born  anywhere,  He 
might  spring  from  any  family  of  earth.  The  only 
thing  certain  was  that  He  was  to  be  a  descendant  of 
Eve,  the  mother  of  us  all.  But  ere  long  a  restrict- 
ing process  began  which  limited  the  promise  and 
made  it  more  definite  and  precise.  It  is  announced 
that  He  shall  be  of  the  seed  of  Abraham,  Gen,  xvii, 
7;  xxii,  18;  that  He  shall  be  of  the  tribe  of  Judah, 
Gen.  xlix,  10;  of  the  house  of  David,  2  Sam.  vii,  14- 
16;  the  Son  of  a  Virgin,  Isa.  vii,  14;  born  at  Bethle- 
hem, Micah  V,  2;  and  in  the  sixty-ninth  week  of 
Daniel's  mystic  seventy,  Dan.  ix,  24-26.  As  the 
majestic  portrait  of  the  coming  Messiah  grows,  new 
features  are  added  to  it  by  the  prophetic  hand.  He 
is  to  be  a  holy  sin-bearer,  a  silent  sufferer,  a  slaught- 
ered Lamb.  The  sword  is  to  awake  against  Him, 
and  He  is  to  know  the  bitterness  of  death  and  the 
grave.  And  yet  He  is  to  be  the  conqueror  of  death, 
the  vanquisher  of  the  grave.  From  first  to  last, 
from  the  prophetic  Psalms  to  Isaiah  and  Daniel  and 
Malachi,  there  is  progress,  movement,  growth. 

We  should  carefully  discriminate  between  proph- 
ecy and  what  in  some  sort  resembles  it  and  with 
what  it  has  sometimes  been  confounded,  viz.,  divina- 
tion. According  to  the  Scripture,  prophecy  does 
not  spring  from  any  natural  parts  whatsoever,  or 
from  any  powers  of  the  human  spirit.  Its  origin  is 
always  traced  to  the  supernatural  working  of  the 
Spirit  of   God  on  the  spirit  of  the  prophet.     The 


212  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

prophets  disclaim  any  part  in  the  origination  of 
their  messages.  Even  the  words  in  which  the  mes- 
sage is  conveyed  they  ascribe  to  God.  Their  uni- 
form and  authoritative  formula  is,  "  The  word  of  the 
Lord  came  unto  me" — "  Thus  saith  the  Lord."  The 
language  of  the  apostle  Peter  is  final  on  the  subject: 
**  For  no  prophecy  ever  came  by  the  will  of  man; 
but  men  spake  from  God,  being  moved  by  the  Holy 
Ghost,"  2  Pet.  i,  21,  cf;  i  Pet.  i,  10,  11;  Lu.  i,  70,  etc. 
Soothsaying  can  claim  no  such  exalted  origin. 
Mark  the  difference  between  the  two.  Prophecy 
from  its  nature  and  design  cannot  give  predictions 
on  all  kinds  of  subjects  and  things.  Divination  at- 
tempts precisely  to  do  this.  Prophecy  announces 
nothing  else  than  events  and  relations  which  stand 
in  organic  and  internal  connection  with  the  plan  of 
redemption.  Divination  undertakes  to  reveal  the 
future  of  persons  and  things  without  any  reference 
to  the  divine  government  or  God's  purposes  of 
grace.  Prophecy  has  to  do  with  the  course  and  de- 
velopment of  God's  kingdom  in  the  world.  Divina- 
tion is  essentially  a  puerile  kind  of  fortune-telling. 
Prophecy  is  the  product  of  the  inspiration  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  Divination  rests  upon  an  imaginary 
intercourse  with  an  extra-mundane  spirit.  The 
prophet  spoke  the  words  of  the  Lord,  the  words 
which  the  Lord  had  put  into  his  mouth,  Jcr.  i,  9; 
■Ezck.  ii,  7.  The  soothsayer  and  false  prophet  spoke 
out  of  their  own  hearts,  Jer.  xiv,  14;  xxiii,  16.  The 
former  brought  objective  truth,  the  latter  a  subjec- 
tive presentiment.  The  one  received  his  message 
from  without,  from  beyond  the  boundaries  of  his 
own  intelligence.  The  other  evoked  his  oracle  from 
the  depths  of  his  own  heart.     The  prophets  had  for 


PROPHECY.  213 

the  object  and  center  @f  all  their  communications 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Divination  knows  nothing 
of  Christ,  cares  nothing  for  Him. 

Besides,  there  is  a  remarkable  harmony  and  cor- 
respondence between  the  claim  of  the  prophets  to  be 
the  spokesmen  of  God  and  their  messages.  There  is 
no  disparity  betvv^een  them.  Their  claim  and  their 
message  square  with  each  other.  In  all  the  range 
of  literature  there  is  nothing  next  to  or  like  this  to 
be  found.  In  this  respect  the  prophecy  of  Scripture 
stands  without  a  parallel  in  the  history  of  the  world. 

We  are  not  left  to  conjecture  how  the  divine  com- 
munications were  made  to  the  prophets.  In  Num. 
xii,  6-8,  the  Lord  said  to  Moses,  Aaron,  and  Miriam 
that  He  would  make  Himself  known  to  a  prophet  in 
a  vision  or  a  dream;  but  to  Moses  His  servant  He 
would  "  speak  mouth  to  mouth."  In  these  three 
ways  God  made  known  His  will  to  men.  That  He 
spoke  to  men  by  an  audible  voice,  giving  them  a 
verbal  message  cannot  be  doubted,  Num.  xii,  4,  8; 
Deut.  xxxiv,  10;  i  Sam.  iii;  Ezek.  ii,  etc.  Through 
dreams  likewise  the  will  of  God  was  revealed. 
Joseph  in  Egypt,  Joseph  the  husband  of  Mary, 
Nebuchadnezzar  and  others  had  communications 
from  God  in  this  way.  Most  of  the  contents  of  the 
prophetic  Scriptures  were  given  through  visions 
vouchsafed  the  prophets.  In  the  dream  and  vision 
the  mental  state  of  the  prophet  is  conjectured  by 
Myrick  to  have  been  as  follows:  (i)  The  bodily 
senses  were  closed  to  external  objects  as  in  deep 
sleep.  (2)  The  reflective  and  discursive  faculty  was 
still  and  inactive.  (3)  The  spiritual  faculty  {the 
pneumd)  was  awakened  to  the  highest  state  of  energy. 
The  spirit  of  the  prophet  became,  as  it  were,  an  ear  and 


214  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

an  eye,  aroused  and  quickened  as  he  was  by  the  Spirit 
of  God,  so  that  he  could  hear  the  voice  of  the  Lord 
and  see  the  future  as  it  was  unfolded  to  him  by  the 
revealing  Mind.  Anciently  the  name  Seer\w2iS  given 
the  prophet  (i  Sam.  ix,  9),  because  pre-eminently  he 
was  one  who  saw,  who  was  endowed  with  the  seeing 
faculty  in  the  highest  degree.  He  possessed  a  pre- 
ternatural sight,  and  insight;  he  had  power  given 
him  to  look  into  the  invisible  world.  That  the 
prophets  did  not  always  understand  the  messages 
which  were  communicated  to  them  is  evident  from 
I  Pet.  i,  10-12.  After  receiving  the  messages  they 
themselves  diligently  studied  them.  In  both  Daniel 
and  the  Apocalypse  of  John  there  is  unmistakable  evi- 
dence of  this  fact,  Dan.  vii,  28;  viii,  15-27;  x,  7-15; 
Rev.  i,  17;  vii,  13,  14;  xvii,  6.  It  follows  of  necessary 
consequence  that  the  very  words  must  have  been 
given  the  prophets  by  the  Lord,  for  they  were  in- 
competent to  put  into  intelligible  and  accurate  lan- 
guage that  which  they  themselves  did  not  under- 
stand. 

I.  The  vividness  of  the  visions.  The  prophets  be- 
held the  future  as  if  it  were  present.  In  fact,  the 
future  was  brought  before  them  and  became  an 
actual  reality  by  the  series  of  object-visions  or  pict- 
ures in  which  it  was  embodied  visibly  before  them. 
"  They  saw  the  future  in  space  rather  than  in  time; 
the  whole,  therefore,  appears  foreshortened  and  per- 
spective rather  than  actual  distance  is  regarded." 
Hence  they  often  speak  of  the  future  as  if  it  were  past. 
There  is  a"  prophetic  perfect"  tense  in  the  language 
of  prophecy.  Psalms  xxii,  Ixix,  Is.  liii,  and  much  of 
Daniel  and  Revelation  are  examples  of  this  use  of 
language.     Very  graphic    are    the    visions   of    the 


PKOPHECY.  21b 

prophets.  The  picture  of  the  event  foretold  stands 
out  sharply  defined,  clear,  unmistakable  in  its  out- 
lines, massiveness  and  action. 

2.  Symbolism.  Prophecy  is  full  of  symbols.  They 
correspond  to  the  types  of  the  Mosaic  ritual;  in  both 
the  predominant  idea  is  the  pictorial  representation 
of  things  to  come.  In  Daniel  and  John  the  future  is 
portrayed  by  a  series  of  gorgeous  pictures.  Sym- 
bols, it  should  be  remembered,  have  a  language  of 
their  own  as  definite  as  any  form  of  speech.  They 
are  addressed  to  the  eye,  while  the  prophetic  dis- 
course is  for  the  ear. 

Some  of  the  uses  of  prophecy  may  be  briefly  sum- 
marized: 

1.  It  substantiates  the  claims  and  the  mission  of 
the  prophet. 

2.  It  is  a  perduring  witness  to  the  person,  charac- 
ter and  work  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

3.  It  is  a  chief  pillar  of  Christianity  as  a  divine 
system. 

4.  It  is  an  unimpeachable  evidence  of  the  plenary 
inspiration  of  the  Bible. 

5.  It  is  the  lamp  by  the  light  of  which  the  be- 
liever is  to  walk  through  the  darkness  of  this  world. 

Some  hints  touching  the  study  and  interpretation 
of  prophecy  may  not  be  out  of  place.  Of  course,  in 
a  paper  such  as  this  only  the  briefest  suggestions 
are  given. 

I.  Ascertain  the  relation  of   the  prophecy  to  the 
prophet  himself  and  to  the  times  in  which  he  lived 
Often  the  historical  occasion  of  the  divine  commun- 
ication serves  to  throw  much  light  on  its  meaning 
»and  aim.     But  this  is  only  partially  true.     There  are 


216  OUTLINE    STtDIEiS. 

many  predictions  of  which  the  "  historical  setting," 
even  if  it  were  discoverable,  arfords  no  help. 

2.  Collect  together  all  that  God  the  Holy  Spirit 
has  been  pleased  to  reveal  on  any  subject,  and  study 
and  compare. 

3.  Distinguish  the  form  from  the  truth  embodied 
in  it.  That  is,  distinguish  figures  from  what  is  repre 
sented  by  them.  Whatever  images  the  prophet  may 
use  the  subject  of  prophecy  is  never  a  figure.  Back 
of  the  picture  and  behind  the  image  in  which  the 
future  is  revealed  lies  the  reality,  the  mighty  fact 
which  the  Spirit  of  God  has  been  pleased  to  reveal. 

4.  Mark  the  principles  of  interpretation  sanctioned 
by  the  New  Testament.  We  there  find  the  true 
method  of  prophetic  interpretation,  viz.,  that  the 
Bible  is  an  organic  unity,  that  Christ  is  the  center 
and  object  of  all  the  divine  counsels  and  purposes, 
that  Israel  is  not  exactly  the  church  of  God  of  our 
dispensation,  and  that  there  is  a  great  and  blessed 
future  both  for  Israel  and  for  the  earth  itself.  If  one 
reverently  and  earnestly  gives  himself  to  the  study 
of  prophetic  interpretation  as  furnished  by  the  in- 
spired writers  of  the  New  Testament  he  will  discover 
the  divinely  sanctioned  rule  for  all  the  Bible. 

5.  A  common  maxim  is  that  history  is  the  ex- 
pounder of  prophecy;  that  we  must  await  its  fulfill- 
ment to  understand  it.  The  view  is  only  partially 
correct,  is  indeed  very  inadequate.  It  confounds 
the  interpretation  with  the  confirmation.  A  predic- 
tion is  sometimes  as  difficult  to  understand  after  its 
accomplishment  as  before.  If  prophecy  can  be  un- 
derstood only  when  it  has  been  fulfilled,  then  it  is 
practically  useless  until  it  has  become  history.  How, 
then,  can  it  be  a  lamp  shining  in  a  dark  place  for  our 


PROPHECY. 


m 


guidance?  Prophecy  is  intended  for  all  God's  pe^^- 
ple.  But  all  cannot  know  the  world's  history:  hence 
history  is  not  its  final  interpreter. 

6.  The  Spirit  of  God  is  the  infallible  interpreter 
of  prophecy,  as  He  is  of  all  Scripture. 


ISAIAH. 

Of  the  prophet  who  bears  this  name  little  is 
known.  He  was  the  son  of  Amoz,  a  person  of 
course  not  to  be  identified  with  the  prophet,  Amos. 
A  current  Jewish  tradition,  according  to  Home,  con- 
nected Isaiah  with  the  blood-royal,  his  father  being 
the  son  of  Joash  and  brother  of  Amaziah,  king  of 
Judah.  Jerome,  on  the  authority  of  some  rabbinical 
writers,  says  that  the  prophet  gave  his  daughter  in 
marriage  to  King  Manasseh,  the  son  of  Hezekiah. 
How  much  of  this  traditional  information  is  to  be  re- 
ceived as  worthy  of  credence  it  might  be  difficult  to 
determine,  perhaps  very  little  of  it.  There  is  more 
ground  for  believing  that  the  prophet  suffered  death 
in  the  early  reign  of  Manasseh,  being  martyred  for 
his  infidelity  to  the  truth  of  which  he  had  borne  the 
noblest  and  most  constant  testimony.  It  is  said  that 
he  was  sawn  asunder  by  order  of  that  bloody  tyrant, 
the  Diocletian  of  Jewish  history.  .  Heb.  xi,  37,  is 
thought  by  many  to  allude  to  Isaiah's  death.  His 
.extraordinary  call  to  the  office  of  prophet  is  re- 
corded in  the  sixth  chapter  of  his  book.  It  is  not 
meant  that  Isaiah  did  not  exercise  his  ministry  to 
some  extent  before  the  great  vision  recorded  in 
chapter  six  took  place.  But  by  it  he  was  inau- 
gurated into  the  great  work  to  which,  in  an  especial 
manner,  he  was  now  called.  It  was  in  the  year 
Uzziah   died  that   the   vision  was   vouchsafed   him 


ISAIAH.  219 

which  changed  the  whole  current  of  his  life  and 
which,  as  in  the  case  of  Saul  of  Tarsus,  made  him 
the  man  he  was.  Isaiah  saw  the  Lord  seated  on  a 
throne  high  and  lifted  up.  Cherubs,  with  veiled 
faces  and  veiled  feet,  surrounded  the  enthroned  One 
as  guards  round  the  King.  From  side  to  side  went 
up  a  hymn  of  praise,  the  heavenly  hosts  chanting 
with  tireless  energy  the  holiness  of  the  Lord.  All 
the  young  man's  sins,  all  the  sins  of  the  nation 
rushed  upon  him  with  overwhelming  force.  **  Woe 
is  me,  for  I  am  undone,"  he  cried.  In  the  presence 
of  the  dazzling  brightness  and  infinite  glory  of  the 
throne  he  felt  himself  to  be  a  man  of  unclean  lips, 
"  the  foul-mouthed  son  of  a  foul-mouthed  race." 
On  those  defiled  lips  the  swift  seraph  laid  the  flam- 
ing coal  from  the  flaming  altar.  This  signified  the 
removing  of  pollution  and  the  creation  of  that  mar- 
velous style  of  speech  which  has  entranced  the 
world.  From  that  time  forward  Isaiah  possessed  in 
the  highest  degree  the  prophetic  gift,  a  message 
from  God  and  the  power  to  utter  it  in  the  most  for- 
cible language.  Both  the  message  and  the  speech 
were  communicated  to  him  from  God  Himself.  The 
awful  voice  asked:  **  Whom  shall  I  send,  and  who 
will  go  for  us?"  With  unhesitating  devotion  the 
young  man  replied,  "  Here  am  I;  send  me."  It  was 
his  supreme  call  and  commission. 

The  circle  of  hearers  on  whom  his  ministry  was 
oesigned  immediately  to  operate  was  Judah  and 
Jerusalem.  Isaiah  was-  the  prophet  of  Judah.  While 
he  spoke  of  Syria,  Moab,  Egypt,  Tyre,  Assyria, 
Babylon,  etc.,  nevertheless  these  nations  were  intro- 
duced because  of  their  connection  with  the  kingdom 
of  Judah.    It  was  not  for  their  benefit  he  prophesied, 


220  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

but  for  the  people  of  Judah  alone  now  become  the 
sole  home  of  Jewish  blessings  and  of  hope.  His 
ministry  was  to  be  a  strangely  barren  one,  vi,  9-13; 
at  least  so  far  as  the  world  judges.  The  louder  he 
should  cry  the  less  would  the  people  hear  and  un- 
derstand. Under  his  testimony,  powerful  as  it 
should  be,  worse  and  more  obdurate  would  they  be- 
come until  judicial  blindness,  God's  heaviest  punish- 
inent  in  this  w^orld,  should  settle  down  upon  them. 
Both  the  Lord  Jesus  and  Paul  allude  to  the  awful 
effect  of  refusing  the  words  of  God,  the  hardening 
process  which  is  sure  to  follow  unbelief,  Matt,  xiii, 
14,  15;  Actsxxviii,  25-27.  History  evermore  repeats 
itself.  The  Jews  of  Isaiah's  time  had  their  counter- 
part in  those  of  Jesus'  and  Paul's  day.  Nor  is  it 
otherwise  now.  Refuse  the  divine  message,  and 
keep  on  refusing  it;  and  the  time  will  come  when 
all  you  can  do  is  to  refuse,  when  the  ears  cannot 
hear  and  the  eyes  are  fast  closed  in  sleep.  Besides, 
Isaiah's  ministry  was  to  be  one  largely  made  up  of 
the  reiterations  of  "commonplaces."  The  sad, 
plaintive  cry,  "  Precept  upon  precept,  precept  upon 
precept;  line  upon  line,  line  upon  line;  here  a  little, 
there  a  little,"  xxviii,  10,  11,  was  to  be  a  prominent 
feature  in  his  work  and  testimony.  "  Common- 
places!" It  is  the  work  of  God's  messengers  still, 
often  sorrowful  enough! 

Isaiah's  ministry  extended  over  a  long  period,  at 
least  over  the  reigns  in  whole  or  in  part,  of  four 
kings,  Uzziah,  Jotham,  Ahaz,  and  Hezekiah,  i,  i. 
Probably  but  little  of  his  prophetic  career  belonged 
to  the  reign  of  Uzziah.  From  the  book  itself  it  can 
not  be  determined  whether  any  prophecy  was  de- 
livered during  the  time  of  Jotham.     But  it  should  be 


ISAIAH.  221 

remembered  that  Uzziah  was  a  leper  in  the  closing 
years  of  his  life,  and  Jotham,  his  son,  was  probably 
regent  during  the  time,  2  Kings  xv,  5;  2  Chron.xxvi, 
21  (Uzziah  and  Azariah  are  identical).  His  pro- 
phetic activity  lasted  it  is  thought  by  many,  for 
sixty  years,  perhaps  for  sixty-five.  Rawlinson's  con- 
jectural estim.ate  of  his  lifetime  is  ninety  years — B. 
B.  780  and  B.  C.  690 — which  would  m.ake  him  con- 
temporary with  Manasseh  for  the  space  of  nine 
years. 

Isaiah's  character  is  one  of  great  boldness  and 
earnestness.  Toward  sin  of  every  kind,  he  is 
everywhere  uncompromising.  Fraud,  oppression, 
dishonesty,  hypocrisy,  idolatry,  apostasy,  he  de- 
nounces with  a  vehemence  that  is  unparalleled. 
"  He  conceals  nothing,  keeps  nothing  back,  out  of  a 
desire  for  court  favor."  "  Is  it  a  small  thing  for  you 
to  weary  men?"  he  says  to  one  king;  "  but  must  ye 
weary  my  God  also?"  vii,  13.  "  Set  thine  house  in 
order,"  he  says  to  another,  '*  for  thou  shalt  die  and 
not  live,"  xxxviii,  i.  But  he  is  not  all  sternness. 
Some  of  his  passages  are  unsurpassed  for  tenderness 
and  compassion  and  love.  Where  can  anything  be 
found  which  for  pathos  equals  this,  "  Comfort  ye, 
comfort  ye,  my  people,'*  xl,  i,  2;  "  As  one  whom  his 
mother  comforteth,  so  will  I  comfort  you,"  Ixvi,  13, 
as  if  the  great  God,  like  a  gentle  mother,  took  up 
into  His  mighty  arms  His  poor,  weeping  people,  and 
hushed  their  sobbings,  and  rocked  them  to  rest  on 
His  own  infinite  heart.  His  horizon  is  broader  than 
that  of  most  of  the  prophets.  While  Judah  and 
Jerusalem  are  the  great  themes  of  his  prophetic  ut- 
terances and  are  nearer  his  heart  than  any  others, 
yet  the  Gentiles  are  his  brother  men  also,  and  for 


222  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

them  sublime  predictions  are  made,  and  their  future 
is  painted  in  as  glowing  colors  of  beauty  and  glory 
as  that  of  Israel  itself.  Nay,  the  weary  earth  and 
tired  nature,  the  very  beasts  of  the  field,  together 
with  toiling  and  suffering  man,  universal  man  are 
yet  to  share  in  the  glorious  salvation  of  our  God. 

Then,  too,  his  spirituality  and  deep  reverence 
should  not  be  overlooked.  With  David  he  sees 
clearly  that  outward  forms  and  ceremonies  are  not  the 
true  religion,  nor  sacrifices,  nor  assemblies  of  wor- 
shiping people,  nor  days,  nor  fasts,  nor  temples, 
constitute  true  religion,  are  of  no  value  in  the  sight 
of  God  if  purity  of  heart  and  genuine  obedience  and 
whole-hearted  consecration  to  the  service  and  wor- 
ship of  God  are  absent.  Isaiah  is  the  evangelical 
prophet.  He  speaks  of  Christ  and  of  His  redemp- 
tion with  almost  the  same  clearness  and  fullness  as 
an  evangelist  or  an  apostle. 

His  name,  Isaiah,  signifies  the  salvation  of  Jeho- 
yah,  and  it,  together  with  the  names  of  his  two  sons, 
are  thought  by  Dr.  Forbes  to  be  introduced  into  the 
prophecies  with  great  beauty  and  force  on  the  prin- 
ciple of  rhetoric  known  as  paranomasia,  i.  e.,  play  on 
the  name,  viz.,  Maher-shalal-hash-baz  ("speed,  spoil, 
hastens  the  prey"),  viii:i,  3;  Shear-jashub  (''a 
remnant  shall  return  "),  x,  4-34;  Isaiah  ("Salvation 
of  Jehovah  "),  xi,  xii. 

That  these  three  names  are  wrought  into  the 
chapters  above  cited,  can  hardly  be  doubted.  The 
same  remark  holds  likewise  as  to  the  name,  Im- 
manuel,  viii,  5-ix,  7. 

I.  The  title  and  authentication  of  the  book, chap, 
i,  i:  "The  vision  of  Isaiah,  the  son  of  Amoz,  which 
he  saw  concerning  Judah  and  Jerusalem  in  the  days 


ISAIAH.  223 

of  Uzziah,  Jotham,  Ahaz,  and  Hezekiah,  kings  of 
Judah."  This  verse  is  not  the  preface  to  the  first 
chapter  or  to  any  small  portion  of  the  book,  as  is 
evident  from  the  enumeration  of  the  four  kings;  it  is 
a  sort  of  caption  to  the  entire  volume.  But  more, 
the  verse  is  designed  to  be  a  witness  and  a  seal  of 
the  source  and  integrity  of  the  contents  of  the  book. 
It  is  very  noteworthy  that  all  the  prophetic  books 
have  just  such  an  endorsement  as  this  of  Isaiah,  and 
almost  invariably  the  authentication  is  found  at  the 
opening  of  the  writing.  Daniel  appears  to  be  an  ex- 
ception; but  ch.  i,  17,  is  the  voucher  for  that  prophet. 
The  same  literary  peculiarity,  as  we  may  venture  to 
call  it,  distinguishes  the  epistolary  writings  of  the 
New  Testament.  Paul  begins  his  letters  with  such 
an  authentication  as  is  found  in  the  prophets.  So, 
likewise,  do  James,  Peter,  and  Jude.  John  writes 
the  opening  sentence  of  the  Apocalypse  with  just 
such  an  appeal  to  the  divine  origin  of  the  predictions 
contained  in  his  book  as  the  Old  Testament  seers 
employ.  The  Holy  Spirit,  who  is  the  real  Author. of 
the  Bible,  has  thus  stamped  His  majestic  imprimatur 
on  the  great  prophetic  and  epistolary  writings.  He 
would  be  rash  and  reckless  indeed  who  would  essay 
to  remove  it! 

2.  Isaiah  may  be  conveniently  divided  into  three 
great  parts.  Part  I.,  chs.  i-xxxv.  Part  II.,  chs.  xxxvi- 
xxxix.  Part  III.,  chs.  xl-lxvi.  In  Parts  I.  and  III. 
there  are  three  main  groups  of  prophecies,  while  in 
Part  II.  there  is  but  one  subject  mainly,  viz.,  histori 
cal  events  in  connection  with  the  reign  of  Hezekiah. 

Part  I.  of  the  book  may  be  distributed  into  the 
three  following  groups  of  prophecies:  (i)  Reproofs, 
warnings,  and  promises   addressed  chiefly  to  Judah 


224  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

and  Jerusalem,  together  with  hopes  held  forth  to  the 
Gentiles,  chaps,  i-xii.  This  section  ends  with  a 
glowing  announcement  of  the  blessed  day  coming, 
the  millennial  day,  when  all  the  promises  of  God 
will  have  their  ample  fulfillment,  chaps,  xi-xii. 
Israel's  conversion  and  the  joy  of  the  whole  earth  in 
consequence  are  rapturously  described.  The  an- 
tagonisms in  nature,  the  wrongs  and  oppressions 
and  cruelties  practiced  by  men  against  one  another, 
in  short,  the  miseries  and  wretchedness  and  bitter- 
ness of  life  as  it  now  is  in  the  world,  will  all  be  done 
away,  and  righteousness  and  peace  and  universal 
rest  and  blessing  cover  the  whole  world  as  a  mantle 
of  joy. 

(2)  Predictions  respecting  the  nations  which  were 
specially  hostile  to  Judah,  chaps,  xiii-xxiii.  Some 
eight  nations  are  named,  among  them  the  great 
powers  of  Babylon,  Syria,  Egypt  and  Tyre.  Their 
sin  and  doom  are  graphically  depicted. 

(3)  Predictions  of  judgment  on  the  world,  on 
Samaria  and  Judah  and  sins  and  wickedness  which 
provoke  the  judgment,  the  Assyrian  invasion  and 
destruction  of  Samaria,  the  alarm,  distress,  and  final 
deliverance  of  Jerusalem,  chaps,  xxiv-xxxv.  The 
section  terminates  with  another  magnificent  descrip- 
tion of  the  coming  glory,  xxxv. 

Part  II.  contains  the  historical  chapters,  xxxvi- 
xxxix.  Two  of  them,  xxxvi.  xxxvii,  relate  the  story 
of  the  Assyrian  invasion  and  its  results;  the  others, 
xxxviii,  xxxix,  Hezekiah's  sickness  and  recovery, 
and  the  incident  of  the  Babylonian  ambassadors. 
The  first  two  chapters  face  Part  I.  of  the  book,  the 
last  two  Part  III.  These  historical  chapters  are  the 
bridge    between    the    two    great    sections    of    the 


ISAIAH.  225 

prophecy,  binding  thus  into  one  the  entire  volume. 

Part  III.  consists  of  chaps,  xl-lxvi.  The  predictions 
contained  in  this  section  of  Isaiah  are  surpassingly 
grand  as  to  style,  transcendently  lofty  as  to  concep- 
tion, most  precious  in  all  the  wealth  of  promise  and 
assurance  as  to  the  future  of  God's  people  and  the 
world  itself.  With  consummate  art  the  prophet  has 
cast  his  inspired  writing  into  three  main  divisions, 
each  of  which  ends  with  a  most  solemn  note  of 
warning  to  the  wicked.  "  No  peace,  saith  Jehovah, 
to  the  wicked."  (i)  xl-xlviii.  The  antithesis  of  Je- 
hovah and  idols,  Israel  and  the  nations,  ending  with 
the  knell  of  judgment,  ''There  is  no  peace,  saith  the 
Lord,  to  the  wicked."  (2)  xlix-lvii.  The  antithesis 
between  the  sufferings  of  the  Servant  of  Jehovah  and 
the  glory  which  should  follow,  ending  with  a  more 
emphatic  note  of  warning  than  the  former.  *'  There 
is  no  peace,  saith  my  God,  to  the  wicked."  (3)  Iviii- 
Ixvi.  The  antithesis  between  the  hypocrites  and 
the  faithful,  between  the  immoral  and  the  self-indul- 
gent, and  the  mourners  and  the  persecuted  for 
righteousness'  sake,  between  the  world  of  sin  and 
sorrow  that  now  is,  and  the  world  of  blessedness  and 
holiness  and  purity  which  is  to  be,  ending  with  the 
heaviest  note  of  judgment  of  all,  "  For  their  worm 
shall  not  die,  neither  shall  their  fire  be  quenched, 
and  they  shall  be  an  abhorring  to  all  flesh." 

The  central  theme  of  the  first  division  of  these 
magnificent  predictions  is  comfort,  the  comfort  of  the 
Lord's  people  in  prospect  of  their  exile  and  suffer- 
ing at  Babylon,  and  the  assurance  of  their  deliver- 
ance and  restoration  through  God's  chosen  instru- 
ment and  servant,  Cyrus  the  Persian.  The  central 
theme   of  the   second   division   is   the   Servant  of 


226  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

Jehovah,  the  promised  Messiah,  who  by  His  first 
advent  in  humiliation  will  bring  in  everlasting 
righteousness  and  salvation  for  God's  people,  and 
who  by  His  second  advent  will  introduce  millennial 
and  eternal  glory.  And  the  central  theme  of  the 
third  division  is  the  realization  of  the  promised 
glory. 

Broadly,  therefore,  we  say  that  the  book  of  Isaiah 
is  made  up  of  seven  grand  divisions,  three  in  Part  I., 
one  in  the  four  historical  chapters,  and  three  in  Part 
HI.,  chaps,  xl-lxvi. 

About  the  question  of  the  unity  of  Isaiah,  contro- 
versy rages.  Believers  in  the  plenary,  verbal  inspira- 
tion of  the  Bible  insist  that  the  Prophet  Isaiah,  son 
of  Amoz,  is  the  author  of  the  book  that  bears  his 
name.  This  the  higher  critics  strenuously  deny. 
One  of  them  (Ewald)  imagines  he  can  trace  seven 
different  hands  in  its  composition.  The  majority, 
however,  content  themselves  with  asserting  a  two- 
fold authorship,  viz.:  Proto-Isaiah,  chaps,  i-xxxix, 
probably  written  by  the  prophet;  and  Deutero-Isaiah, 
chaps,  xl-lxvi,  by  the  "  Great  Unknown,"  i.  e.,  by 
some  very  remarkable  prophet  who  lived  during  the 
time  of  the  exile  at  Babylon  and  about  the  time  of 
Cyrus.  Difference  of  style  used  to  be  urged  as  a 
strong  argument  in  support  of  this  theory,  but  it  is 
now  almost  entirely  abandoned.  The  arguments 
now  advanced  are  briefly  these:  ( i )  In  Isaiah  xl-lxvi, 
the  writer  speaks  as  if  he  were  actually  living  in  the 
times  he  describes.  (2)  It  is  not  the  ordinary  method 
of  prophecy  to  enter  into  detail,  and  minutely  describe 
events,  as  is  done  in  these  chapters.  (3)  The  cap- 
tivity, the  fall  of  Babylon,  Cyrus,  Messiah's  suffer- 
ing and   Israel's  restoration,  are  all  given  with  such 


ISAIAH.  227 

minuteness  of  detail  as  to  preclude  the  belief  that 
Isaiah,  the  son  of  Amoz,  who  lived  some  170  years 
before  could  have  been  the  author.  Something  of 
the  true  nature  of  the  higher  criticism  is  thus  dis- 
closed. It  virtually  denies  that  the  prophets  of  God 
foretold  anything  future  which  was  disconnected 
with  their  own  times.  That  the  prophet  Isaiah,  the 
son  of  Amoz,  is  the  author  of  the  whole  book  is 
firmly  held  by  the  present  writer.  The  reasons  for 
this  belief  are  for  him  amply  sufficient,  amounting 
to  a  demonstration.  Only  some  of  them  are  here 
given. 

(i)  The  novelty  of  the  theory  makes  against  it. 
For  seventeen  hundred  years  and  more  it  was  never 
heard  of  among  the  scholars  of  the  church.  One 
Jew,  of  the  twelfth  century,  Aben  Ezra,  was  the  only 
writer,  so  far  as  is  now  known,  that  ever  broached 
it.  In  fact,  the  theory  is  hardly  a  hundred  years 
old.  It  would  be  well  for  us  to  bear  in  mind  the  old 
adage,  "  what  is  true  is  not  new;  and  what  is  new  is 
not  true." 

(2)  The  gross  ignorance  of  the  critics  as  to  the 
'  Great  Unknown"  makes  against  the  theory.  Con- 
sider how  forcible  this  argument  becomes,  had  we 
the  space  and  the  time  to  draw  it  out  in  its  full 
strength.  Here  is  a  writing  the  most  transcendently 
eloquent,  comforting,  instructive,  impressive,  forma- 
tive, and  influential  of  the  Old  Testament  prophet- 
ical Scriptures  if  we  except  Daniel;  chaps,  xlii,  liii, 
Ix,  Ixi,  etc.,  have  swayed  the  thought  and  animated 
the  hope  and  encouraged  the  faith  of  God's  people, 
both  Israelitish  and  Christian,  for  centuries.  It  up- 
held the  exiles  at  Babylon;  it  led  Cyrus  to  issue  his 
decree  for  the  return  of  the  captives;  it  kept  bright 


228  OUTLINE   STUDIES. 

the  expectation  in  pious  Jewish  hearts  of  the  coming 
of  Messiah;  it  has  led  many  a  sinner  to  the  Saviour. 
And  yet  nobody  knows  who  wrote  it!  It  is  the  pro- 
duct of  the  "  Great  Unknown." 

(3)  The  Septuagint  version  knows  no  other  author 
of  the  book  than  Isaiah.  Yet  this  ancient  transla- 
tion, B.  C.  250,  and  earlier,  does  not  hesitate  to 
ascribe  the  various  Psalms  to  different  authors,  as, 
e.  g.,  David,  Asaph,  Jeremiah,  Haggai,  Ethan,  etc.; 
but  makes  no  hint  of  a  composite  composition  of 
Isaiah. 

(4)  The  son  of  Sirach,  author  of  the  apocryphal 
book  of  Ecclesiasticus,  about  B.  C.  180,  definitely 
ascribes  this  portion  of  the  book  (xl-lxvi)  to  Isaiah, 
the  prophet,  and  speaks  of  him  in  such  fashion  as  to 
preclude  the  idea  that  any  other  than  he  was  ever 
conjectured  to  be  the  author  of  it. 

(5)  Cyrus'  decree,  Ez.  i,  i,  2,  is  proof  that  the  sec- 
tion of  Isaiah  under  inspection  was  written  before 
the  captivity.  In  it  the  monarch  refers  to  the  word- 
ing of  the  prophecies  concerning  himself.  Is.  xliv, 
27,  28;  xlv,  1-3.  The  words  of  the  edict  are  copied 
from  these  passages.  Now  is  it  credible  that  Cyrus 
would  be  influenced  so  powerfully  as  to  issue  his 
proclamation  thus  worded  if  the  prophecy  were  ut- 
tered in  his  own  day  and  by  a  contemporary?  Jo- 
sephus  testifies  that  these  prophecies  concerning 
himself  were  shown  Cyrus,  and  it  was  on  account  of 
them  he  published  his  decree  for  the  Jews'  return, 
and  for  the  rebuilding  of  the  temple. 

(6)  The  historical  chapters,  xxxviii,  xxxix,  pre- 
pare the  way  for  chaps.  xl-lx»vi,  and  in  reality  assert 
the  connection  of  Hezekiah  and  Isaiah  with  them. 
"  All  that  is  in  thine  house  shall  be  carried  to  Baby- 


ISAIAH.  ^^^ 


Ion,  and  thy  sons  shall  be  eunuchs  in  the  king's  palace." 
(7)  The  witness   of   the  New  Testament  to  the 
Isaian  authorship  of  these  disputed  chapters  is  ex- 
plicit and  abundant.     According   to   Westcott  and 
Hort  the  whole  book  of  Isaiah  is  quoted  and  referred 
to  more  than  210  times;  chaps. xl-lxvi  more  than  one 
hundred  times.    These   references   and   quotations 
are  varied,  specific  and  inexplicable  save  on  the  sup- 
position that  the  New  Testament  writers  knew  no 
author  of  the  book  except  the  son  of  Amoz.     With 
them  the  book  is  no  compilation;  they  recognize  no 
"hand"  in  it  but  that  of   Isaiah.     With  them  the 
book  is  the  words  of  the  prophet  Isaiah,  who  spoke 
by    the    Holy   Spirit.     Matthew   declares   that  the 
writer  of  chapter  forty-two  was  Isaiah,  Matt,  xii,  17, 
18.     Luke  testifies  that  chapter  fifty-three  was  writ- 
ten by  Isaiah,  Acts  viii,  28-35;  that  chapter  sixty-one 
was   written   by    Isaiah,  Lu.   iv,  17.     Paul   ascribes 
chapters    fifty-three    and    sixty-five    to    the    same 
prophet,  Rom.  x,  16,  20.     Let  it  also  be  particularly 
noted  that  in  every  possible  way  the  New  Testament 
writers  attribute  the  entire  book  to    Isaiah.     They 
speak    of    him    again  and    again  as   "the   prophet 
Isaiah,"   "Isaiah,  the  prophet,"  Matt,  iii,   3;  vm,  h 
etc.,  i.  e.,  when  they  would  make  prominent  the  man 
Isaiah  they  give  first  his  name  and  second  his  official 
title;  when  the  office  of  the  man  is  to  be  emphasized 
the  title  precedes  and  his  name  follows.     They  men- 
tion, too,  "the  book  of  the  prophet   Isaiah,"  Lu.  iv, 
17-  'and    "the   book  of    the   words   of    Isaiah   the 
prophet,"  Lu.  iii,  4,  etc.  That  is,  the  inspired  writers 
of    the  New  Testament    distinguish    between    the 
"book  of   Isaiah"  and   the  "prophet   Isaiah"  who 
wrote  the  book. 


280  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

Prophecy  deals  mainly  with  three  subjects  which 
are  inseparably  connected,  viz.:  Israel,  Messiah,  and 
the  kingdom  of  God.  That  all  three  are  conspicu- 
ously found  in  this  book  even  the  most  cursory 
reader  sees.  It  would  be  difficult  to  determine 
which  has  the  larger  place.  Read  from  one  point  of 
view  Isaiah  appears  to  be  wholly  absorbed  with  the 
fortunes  of  Judah  and  Jerusalem;  whatever  else  is 
introduced  is  subordinate  or  incidental.  From  an- 
other it  is  the  promised  Deliverer,  the  mighty  Serv- 
ant of  Jehovah,  who  fills  the  entire  horizon  of  the 
prophetic  vision,  in  whom  every  promise  and  pur- 
pose of  God  shall  have  its  ample  accomplishment. 

I.  The  prophet  foretells  the  Messiah's  incarna- 
tion, vii,  14.  That  this  prediction  relates  to  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  manifest  from  Matt,  i,  18-25. 
No  child  of  ordinary  birth  can  be  meant  by  the 
prophet,  for  He  is  to  be  the  child  of  "the  virgin," 
certainly  of  an  unmarried  female.  He  is  to  bear  the 
great  name  Immanuel,  "  with  us  God."  It  should 
be  borne  in  mind  that  from  the  very  beginning  the 
Messiah  was  to  be  the  offspring  in  an  extraordinary 
sense  of  the  woman,  Gen.  iii,  25.  Difficulties,  it  is 
freely  acknowledged,  envelop  this  prediction,  nor 
can  any  attempt  now  be  made  to  clear  them  away. 
The  words  of  a  profound  student  of  the  Bible  (Prof. 
Cave)  are  worth  quoting:  "  This  Deliverer,  the 
Branch  of  the  Lord,  is  afterward  announced  as  the 
Son  of  a  virgin,  before  whose  birth  the  two  Hebrew 
kingdoms  shall  have  ceased  to  be  monarchies." 
Whatever  interpretation  be  adopted,  it  must  satisfy 
these  conditions:  (i)  It  must  yield  a  sense  worthy 
of  the  grandeur  of  verse  eleven;  (2)  the  Child  must 
be  of  David's  house,  and  the  glory  of  it;  (3)  He  must 


iBAIAfl. 


231 


be  divine  as    His  name  Immanuel  asserts;  (4)    His 
dignity  must  be  superhuman. 

2.  The  dignity  of  His  person  is  announced  by  the 
sublime  titles  given  Him,  ix,  6.  What  a  group  of 
names  is  here  found!  He  is  identified  with  our  race, 
for  He  is  ''  a  child  born,  a  son  given,"  the  Son  of 
man.  But  He  is  much  more.  He  is  God.  He  is 
wonderful— in  His  person,  work,  love  and  grace;  the 
counsellor— the  prophet,  greater  than  Moses,  Isaiah, 
Daniel,  than  any  and  all  the  prophets;  the  Revealer 
of  the  Father,  Jno.  i,  18;  the  mighty  God,  Himself 
God,  co-equal  and  co-eternal  with  the  Father;  the 
Father  of  eternity,  the  Maker  of  heaven  and  earth, 
the  Prince  of  Peace,  the  promised  Shiloh,  Gen.  xlix, 

10;  Lu.  ii,  10-14. 

3.  He  is  to  be  of  the  house  of  David  and  sit  on 
David's  throne,  ix,  7;  xi,  i;  and  He  will  be  endowed 
with  all  the  gifts  and  powers  needed  for  the  univer- 
sal government  which  He  is  to  sway,  xi,  2-4. 

4.  His  forerunner  and  harbinger  is  foretold,  xl, 
3-5;  comp.  Matt,  iii,  1-3.  John  was  only  a  voice, 
what  every  preacher  of  Christ  should  be. 

5.  The  character  of  His  ministry  and  His  quali- 
fications for  its  execution  are  described,  xlii,  1-7. 
What  wisdom  and  grace,  what  tenderness  and  power, 
courage  and  humility,  lowliness  and  loftiness,  stoop- 
ing and  conquering  are  here  predicted  of  Him. 

6.  His  prophetic  office  is  announced,  Ixi,  1-3.  In 
Luke  iv,  18,  19,  our  Lord  read  these  words  in  the 
synagogue  at  Nazareth;  but  it  is  very  noteworthy 
that  He  stopped  short  in  the  second  verse  at  a 
comma,  "To  preach  the  acceptable  year  of  the 
Lord,"  He  could  not  add,  **  And  the  day  of  venge- 
ance of  our  God;"  for  that  day  was  not  come,  nor  is 


232  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

it  yet.  Our  whole  dispensation  of  grace  lies  in  that 
comma.     How  infinitely  accurate  is  Scripture! 

7.  The  priestly  office  is  foretold,  chap.  liii.  Let 
us  note  some  things  from  this  amazing  chapter: 

I.  He  is  to  be  a  suffering  Messiah,  vss.  1-3. 
"  Dispised,"  "  rejected,"  "  man  of  sorrows,"  grief- 
smitten,  **  like  one  from  whom  men  hide  their 
faces." 

n.  Messiah's  sufferings  vicarious.  There  are  at 
least  twelve  assertions  of  this  truth:  (i)  ''Borne  our 
griefs;"  (2)  "  carried  our  sorrows;"  (3)  "  wounded 
for  our  trangessions;"  (4)  bruised  for  our  iniquities;" 
(5)  *'  chastisement  of  our  peace;"  (6)  "  His  stripes;" 
(7")  "Lord  laid  on  Him  the  iniquity  of  us  all;"  (8) 
"  For  the  transgression;"  (9)  "it  pleased  the  Lord 
to  bruise  Him;"  (10)  "  soul  an  offering  for  sin;"  ( 1 1) 
"bear their  iniquities;"  (12)  "  bear  the  sin  of  many." 
How  any  one  in  the  face  of  this  Scripture  can  deny 
the  substitutionary  nature  of  Christ's  atonement  is 
almost  incredible. 

HL  His  sufferings  propitiatory.  This  truth  lies 
in  the  four  expressions  as  to  bearing  sin: 

1.  Ver.  6,  "The  Lord  hath  laid  on  Him  the  iniquity 
of  us  all." 

2.  Ver  10,  "Thou  shalt  make  His  soul  an  offering 
for  sin." 

3.  Ver.  II,  "  He  shall  bear  their  iniquities." 

4.  Ver.  12,  "  He  shall  bear  the  sin  of  many,"  2 
Cor.  V,  21. 

Israel's  Restoration,  Isa.  xi,  11,  12,  15,  16.  The  lan- 
guage of  the  prophet  is  precise.  He  announces,  or 
rather  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  by  him,  that  the  "  Lord 
shall  set  His  hand  again  the  second  time  to  recover 
the  remnant  of  His  people."     "The  second  time" 


ISAIAH. 


233 


cannot  be  the  first  time.  It  is  a  future  restoration 
that  is  meant;  and  it  is  still  future,  unless,  as  many 
think,  it  is  already  begun  in  the  marvelous  events  of 
our  own  days  touching  this  strange,  indestructible 
people.  How  they  are  to  be  brought  back  again  to 
their  own  land  and  to  the  favor  and  blessing  of  God; 
how  the  *'  land  "  (Palestine)  is  to  become  fertile  be- 
yond all  antecedence;  how  the  whole  world  is  to 
share  in  Israel's  blessing,  is  fully  foretold  by  Isaiah, 
ii,  1-5;  xi;  xxxv;  xlix,  22,  23;  Ixii,  4;  xxvii,  6;  Ixvi, 
19,  20,  etc. 

Promises  respecting  the  Gentiles,  xi,  i,  10;  (cf.  Rom. 
XV,  12);  Ixi,  I,  6;  (cf.  Matt,  xii,  17-21);  xlix,  6;  Ix,  3; 
(cf.  Lu.  ii,  32;  Acts  xiii,  47). 

Millennial  Blessedness.  No  prophet  of  the  Old 
Testament  is  so  full  of  this  most  attractive  subject 
as  Isaiah;  none  gives  us  so  comprehensive  a  view  of 
it.  The  vast  cosmical  changes  which  accompany  its 
introduction;  the  revolution  in  all  the  ways  and 
habits  of  men  it  involves,  and  its  characteristic  feat- 
ures, are  the  themes  of  this  matchless  pen.  A 
meager  outline  of  some  of  the  more  prominent 
things  connected  with  it  is  here  given. 

1.  Binding  and  imprisonment  of  Satan,  the  cause 
of  the  world's  woe,  xxiv,  21,  22;  xxvii,  i;  cf.  Rev. 
XX,  1-3.  We  may  be  quite  sure  that  no  reign  of 
peace  and  bliss  is  possible  for  the  earth  so  long  as 
this  strong,  fierce  spirit  is  loose. 

2.  War  shall  cease,  nor  be  learned  or  practiced 
more,  ii,  4;  ix,  5.  Most  graphic  is  the  last  sentence 
above  quoted,  "And  every  garment  rolled  in  blood 
shall  be  for  burning,  even  fuel  for  the  fire."  It  is  es- 
timated that  there  are  now  under  arms  in  Europe 
more  than  five  millions  of  men,  with  ten  millions  of 


234  OUTLINE   STUDIES. 

reserves,  all  ready  to  fly  at  each  other's  throats  at 
the  bidding  of  their  masters.  The  world-power, 
though  Christian  in  name,  is  still  a  wild,  ferocious 
**  beast." 

3.  Antagonisms  between  man  and  man,  and  be- 
tween man  and  the  lower  animals  will  be  removed, 
and  harmony,  universal  and  unbroken,  will  prevail, 
xi,  6-9;  Ixv,  25.  .  It  will  hardly  do  to  say,  as  some  do, 
that  this  explicit  prediction  as  to  the  removal  of 
hostility  between  animals  means  peace  among  na- 
tions and  communities  of  men.  For  this  is  in  addi- 
tion to  predictions  of  harmony  among  men.  What 
is  meant  is,  that  man's  supremacy  over  the  lower 
creation  will,  in  that  day,  be  like  what  it  was  before 
the  fall  of  Adam;  creation  will  be  restored  to  its 
original  harmony  as  the  final  outcome  of  God's  work 
of  redemption,  (cf.  Rom.  viii,   19-23). 

4.  The  "  outcast  of  Israel,"  and  the  "  dispersed  of 
Judah,"  gathered  once  more  into  their  own  land  from 
all  the  countries  whither  they  have  been  scattered, 
will  be  converted  to  God  in  a  supernatural  manner, 
and  become  a  source  of  blessing  to  the  whole  world, 
xi,  10-16;  xxvi,  13-16;  xxvii,  12,  13;  xlix,  12,  22,23; 
lix,  20;  Ixvi,  7-12. 

5.  The  resurrection  of  Israel's  faithful  dead,  as 
likewise  that  of  Gentile  believers  (i  Thess.  iv,  13,18; 
I  Cor.  xv),  to  share  the  joy  of  the  world's  redemp- 
tion will  be  another  glad  triumph  of  that  day,  xxvi, 
19;  cf.  Dan.  xii,  1-3;  Ezek.  xxxvii,  12;  Hos.  xiii,  14, 
etc. 

6.  Patriarchal  years  will  return,  Ixv,  20.  "Life 
will  be  protracted  to  its  full  measure,  so  that  he  who 
dies  at  the  age  of  one  hundred  years  will  be  regarded 
as  having  died  young,  and  the  sinner  on  whom  the 


ISAIAH.  235 

curse  or  punishment  of  God  falls  will  at  least  have 
his  one  hundred  years  of  life."  Sin  and  death  will 
still  exist  in  that  blissful  day,  but  according  to  the 
plain  teaching  of  Isaiah  they  will  be  the  exception 
and  not  the  rule  as  now,  xxv,  6-9;  xxvi,  1-4; 
XXXV,  10. 

7.  There  will  be  a  seven-fold  fullness  and  increase 
of  light,  solar  and  lunar,  in  that  day,  xxx,  26;  Ix, 
19,  20. 

Such  are  some  of  the  glories  God  has  promised 
for  His  ancient  people,  Israel,  for  the  Gentiles  who 
call  on  His  name,  and  for  the  earth  itself.  It  is  the 
grand  jubilee  of  the  whole  world  we  await.  As  cer- 
tain as  God  has  spoken  it  will  be  realized.  How 
near  it  may  be  we  cannot  compute. 

Isaiah's  admonitions  to  the  natioTis  are  most  solemn. 
He  reveals  this  great  principle  of  the  divine  govern- 
ment, viz.,  that  those  nations  which  were  employed 
to  chastise  the  chosen  people  were  held  as  guilty  be- 
fore Him.  In  every  instance  they  exceeded  their 
commission,  they  refused  to  show  mercy  to  the  cap- 
tives; they  executed  their  own  cruel  will  on  the 
helpless,  and  so  in  turn  they  were  punished,  xiii,xiv, 
xxi,  xxxiii,  xlvii,  6.  Assyria's  overthrow,  Babylon's 
fall,  and  Egypt's  humiliation  are  ascribed  to  their 
unmerciful  treatment  of  Israel;  and  yet  they  were  all 
used  as  His  rods  for  the  correction  of  his  people. 

Before  we  leave  the  book  of  Isaiah  some  of  the 
predictions  with  which  it  abounds  and  their  fulfill- 
ment may  be  adverted  to. 

I.  The  fall  of  Babylon  and  its  subsequent  desola- 
tion, xiii.  So  explicit  is  this  event  described  by  the 
spirit  of  prophecy  that  it  might  appropriately  be 
called  history  written  beforehand.     The  army  which 


286  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

is  to  accomplish  this  task  is  summoned  from  the 
mountains,  from  a  distant  land,  vs.  4 — Persia,  no 
doubt,  is  meant.  But  Persia  is  not  to  act  alone; 
other  peoples  join  the  mustering  squadrons,  Media 
more  especially,  vs.  17.  The  Lord  of  hosts  calls 
them  to  execute  His  judgments  on  the  guilty  city, 
vss.  2,  3,  II,  19;  and  the  earth  trembles  beneath  the 
tread  of  marching  men  in  response.  It  is  declared 
that  fear  shall  take  possession  of  the  doomed  city; 
panic-stricken,  it  shall  make  no  defence,  vs.  8.  How 
exactly  this  was  fulfilled  Daniel  assures  us,  Dan.  v. 
The  consternation  which  seized  the  king  on  the 
night  of  Babylon's  assault  is  read  in  the  graphic 
words  of  Daniel,  v,  6,  "  his  knees  smote  one  against 
another."  "  On  that  night  was  Belshazzar  the  king 
of  the  Chaldeans  slain."  Turn  to  the  prediction  of 
Babylon's  desolations,  Is.  xiii.  "  It  shall  never  be 
inhabited,  neither  shall  it  be  dwelt  in  from  genera- 
tion to  generation,"  vs.  20.  Absolute  loss  of  inhab- 
itants is  announced.  Cities  dwindle  and  decay;  com- 
plete solitudes  few  of  them  ever  become.  A  village 
crowns  the  hill  formed  by  the  ruins  of  Sennacherib's 
palace  at  Nineveh  (Rawlinson);  Arab  huts  are  found 
clinging  about  the  majestic  ruins  at  Karnack  and 
Luxor  in  Egypt;  Tanis,  the  seat  of  government  of 
Rameses  II.,  the  Pharaoh  of  the  oppression  and  of 
his  successor,  lives  in  the  mud  hovels  of  San;  Da- 
mascus, almost  as  old  as  Babylon;  Athens,  Rome, 
ancient  likewise,  remain  to  this  day;  but  the  great 
capital  of  the  Chaldean  Empire  has  no  inhabitant 
Strabo,  writing  in  the  age  of  Augustus,  could  say, 
"the  great  city  has  become  a  great  solitude."  Ben- 
jamin of  Tudela,  writing  in  the  twelfth,  and  Maunde- 
ville  in  the  fourteenth  centuries  said  the  same,  the 


ISAIAH.  237 

latter  testifying,  "It  is  alle  deserte,  and  fulle  of 
dragons  and  grete  serpentes."  The  accounts  of 
modern  explorers  are  similar.  "  The  site  of  Baby- 
lon is  a  naked  and  a  hideous  waste"  (Loftus). 

''Neither  shall  the  Arabian  pitch  his  tent  there; 
neither  shall  the  shepherds  make  their  folds  there/' 
vs.  20.  On  the  actual  ruins  of  Babylon  the  Arabian 
neither  pitches  his  tent  nor  pastures  his  flocks,  be- 
cause the  nitrous  soil  produces  no  pasture  to  tempt 
him  (Rawlinson),  and  because  he  believes  it  is  the 
"  abode  of  evil  spirits  "  (Rich). 

"  But  wild  beasts  of  the  desert  shall  lie  there,  owls, 
satyrs  (probably  jackals;  the  word  means  hairy  ones), 
dragons,"  vss.  21,  22.  Everyone  of  these  particulars 
is  fulfilled  to  this  day,  if  the  jackal  is  included  in 
the  enumeration.  Lions,  owls,  serpe.ats  have  been 
seen  there,  the  only  inhabitants  of  the  once  proud 
and  splendid  city.  To  the  very  letter  has  the  pre- 
diction been  accomplished. 

2.  The  fall  of  Babylon,  chap.  xxi.  This  prediction 
differs  widely  from  that  of   chapter  thirteen.     We 
are  told  that  it  is  the  Medo-Persian  army  that  is  to 
capture   the  Chaldean   capital,  vs.  2.     It  is  to  take 
place  at  the  time  of  a  feast,  vs.  5  (cf.  Dan.  v).     The 
steady  advance  of  the  hostile  army  with  its  battalions 
of  horses,  battahons  of  asses,  and  of  camels  is  seen 
by  the  watchman,  vs.  7.     Herodotus  tells  us  the  Per- 
sian army  had  just  such  adjuncts  as  are  here  men- 
tioned.    Finally  there  is  the  sudden  cry  of  the  capt- 
ure and  overthrow,  "  Babylon  is  fallen,  is  fallen,"  vs. 
9;  and  her  chief  gods,  Bel,  Nebo,  and  Merodach  are 
forever  discredited.     The   absolute  accuracy  of  the 
prediction  is  fully  attested  by  the  history  of  Baby- 
lon's fall.     It  came  about  as  here  foretold. 


2as 


OriLIXE    STUDIES. 


3.  Prediction  of  Cyrus,  xliv.  28;  xlv,  i.  His  name 
was  given  by  the  prophet,  his  special  ser\4ce  desig- 
nated, viz.,  rebuilding  Jerusalem  and  the  temple,  long 
before  he  had  existence.  Josephus  writes,  "When, 
therefore,  Cyrus  had  read  this,  and  mar\'eled  at  the 
divinity,  a  kind  of  impulse  and  ambition  seized  upon 
him  to  fulfill  what  was  WTitten."  None  but  the  Om- 
niscient could  have  known  the  person  and  the  name 
of  him  who  was  to  conquer  Babylon  and  deliver  the 
chosen  people. 

4.  The  gates  of  Babylon  to  be  open  for  Cyrus'  en- 
trance, xlv,  I.  Histor}-  relates  that  on  the  night  of 
the  capture  this  actually  occurred.  Marching  into 
the  heart  of  the  city  by  the  river  channel,  which  he 
had  drained.  Cyrus  found  the  gates  open,  and  ingress 
unobstructed.  Thus  the  accuracy  of  accomplish- 
ment attests  the  divine  character  of  prophecy. 

Note  Isaiah's  denunciation  of  idols,  xl.  He  at- 
tacks them  with  argument,  proves  them  to  be  mere 
things,  futile,  lifeless  things.  He  pours  contempt 
on  them,  scathes  them  with  irony,  blasts  them  with 
ridicule,  explodes  infinite  laughter  upon  them. 
Nothing  can  exceed  the  exquisite  sarcasm  with 
which  he  describes  the  manufacture  of  idols,  xl,  19, 
20.  The  rich  man  employs  a  goldsmith  to  fashion 
for  him  a  metal  god.  A  poor  man,  unable  to  pay 
for  so  costly  a  divinity,  selects  a  good  hard  stick  of 
timber  on  which  he  sets  to  work  a  skilled  mechanic: 
and  presto!  has.  to  his  unspeaka'ble  delight,  a 
wooden  god.  And  then  the  blazing  contrast  he 
draws  between  these  scornful  things  and  the  living 
God  who  bends  the  blue  dome  over  our  heads  and 
suspends  the  world  on  His  arm,  and  feeds  the  creat- 
ures  thereof  with   His   hands — how   the  miserable 


ISAIAH. 


239 


dumb  idols  shrivel  into  nothing  in  such  a  Presence. 

Note  also  the  power  of  prayer.  Two  instances  are 
given:  one,  in  the  destruction  of  the  Assyrian  army, 
chap,  xxxvii.  **  One  night  intervened  between  a 
mighty  host  and  nothing,"  the  fathers  used  to  say. 

The  other  relates  to  Hezekiah's  sickness  and  re- 
covery, xxxviii.  Yet  prayer  for  prolonged  life  may 
be  a  mistake.  The  king's  most  serious  blunder,  if 
not  sin,  took  place  after  his  miraculous  restoration 
to  health,  xxxix,  cf.  2  Chron.  xxxii,  24.-31.  Pro- 
longed life,  health,  prosperity,  may  not  be  the  best 
things  for  us  after  all.  For  prosperity  of  soul  we 
may  always  ask;  for  uninterrupted  bodily  health,  we 
are  incompetent  to  judge. 


^::>^:. 


JEREMIAH. 

The  books  of  the  prophets  Isaiah  and  Jeremiah  are 
as  different  as  they  can  well  be.  The  divergence 
between  them  is  not  simply  one  of  style,  but  one  of 
aim  and  contents.  Isaiah  clearly  foresaw  the  defec- 
tion and  apostasy  of  the  people  of  Judah,  and  their 
captivity;  but  he  was  removed  from  the  final  catas- 
trophe by  a  hundred  years  or  more.  Jeremiah  lived 
and  prophesied  at  the  time  of  the  end.  He  saw  the 
fall  of  the  throne  of  David,  the  spoliation  of  the  city 
and  the  temple  by  the  strong  and  pitiless  arms  of  the 
Babylonians,  and  the  exile  of  the  greater  part  of  the 
chosen  people.  It  seemed  as  if  irreparable  ruin  had 
come,  that  God  Himself  had  forsaken  the  children 
of  the  covenant,  ignored  His  own  promises,  and 
given  over  His  heritage  to  the  "  boar  of  the  forest  and 
to  the  beast  of  the  field."  This,  mainly,  constitutes 
the  burden  of  Jeremiah's  prophecies  and  distin- 
guishes them.  His  ministry  was  exercised  amid 
deepening'apostasy,  judgment  and  disaster. 

Jeremiah  was  by  birth  a  priest,  and  dwelt  at  the 
priestly  town  of  Anathoth,  i  Chron.  vi,  60,  a  few 
miles  north  of  Jerusalem  in  the  territory  of  Benja- 
min. His  father's  name  was  Hilkiah,  who  is  not  to 
be  identified  with  the  high  priest  of  that  name.  It 
seems,  however,  that  the  prophet  belonged  to  an  in- 
fluential family  from  the  respect  shown  him  by  suc- 
cessive rulers,  as  Jehoiakim  and  Zedekiah,  Ahikam 


JEREMIAH.  241 

and  Gedaliah,  the  viceroys  of  the  king  of  Babylon. 
His  uncle  Shallum  was  the  husband  of  Huldah  the 
prophetess.  His  friend  and  cousin,  Hanameel,  was 
their  son.  Baruch  was  his  constant  companion  and 
scribe  or  amanuensis. 

His  call  to  the  office  of  prophet  was  as  distinct 
and  as  remarkable  as  that  of  Isaiah,  i,  5.  We  learn 
from  this  striking  verse  that  his  designation  to  the 
office  by  the  Lord  antedated  his  birth.  No  event  or 
exigency  in  the  life  of  the  individual  and  of  the  na- 
tion finds  God  unprepared.  He  had  His  chosen  in- 
struments ready  to  meet  every  emergency  in  the 
history  of  His  people  Israel.  The  fall  was  not  a 
surprise  to  God,  nor  was  redemption  an  after- 
thought. "  He  never  is  before  His  time,  He  never 
is  too  late." 

Jeremiah's  qualifications  for  the  office  of  prophet 
like  those  of  all  the  other  prophets,  were  directly 
from  God.  He  received  both  the  message  and  the 
gift  from  Him,  i,  5-10.  By  the  touch  of  the  divine 
hand  there  was  imparted  to  him  the  revelation  from 
the  Lord  and  the  power  to  deliver  it  to  others.  The 
action  symbolized  the  communication  of  a  message 
and  the  power  of  speech.  Like  Moses,  like  Isaiah, 
like  all  truly  great  and  noble  souls,  Jeremiah  was 
distinguished  for  his  humility  and  native  modesty. 
Very  great  ability,  genius,  is  unaffected,  is  child-like. 
The  highest  attainment  of  Christianity  is  a  glorified 
childhood  (Tholuck).  In  simple,  childlike  ingen- 
uousness Jeremiah  made  answer  to  God's  call,  "Ah! 
Lord  God!  behold,  I  cannot  speak;  for  I  am  a 
child." 

The  time  of  his  ministry  is  distinctly  stated  in 
chap,  i,  1-3.     These  verses  are  not  an  introduction 


'242  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

to  the  first  chapter,  but  to  the  entire  book,  and  they 
are  also  the  authentication  of  all  that  follows.  They 
are  the  great  seal  which  the  Spirit  of  God  has  set 
upon  the  words  which  He  has  given  us  through  the 
mouth  of  His  servant  Jeremiah.  His  ministry  began 
in  the  reign  of  Josiah,and  continued  for  some  time 
after  the  revolt  of  Zedekiah  and  the  disasters  which 
followed.  The  estimates  as  to  its  length  vary  by 
about  ten  years:  Plumptre,  B.  C.  638-588;  Home, 
B.  C.  628-586;  Angus,  B.  C.  629-585.  Something  over 
forty  years  he  exercised  the  office  of  prophet. 

Three  events  of  world-wide  importance  transpired 
during  the  life  time  of  Jeremiah.  The  first  was  the 
battle  between  the  armies  of  Judah  and  of  Pharaoh- 
Necho  at  Carchemish  at  which  Josiah  lost  his  life, 
2  Chron.  xxxv,  20-25.  Never  perhaps  has  there  been 
such  profound  and  universal  mourning  for  the  death 
of  a  ruler.  The  sorrow  of  our  country  for  the  death 
of  President  Lincoln,  the  sorrow  of  England  for  the 
Prince  Consort,  or  that  of  Germany  for  Frederick, 
was  deep,  but  not  so  deep  nor  so  lasting  as  that  for 
Josiah.  The  penitential  mourning  of  Israel  at  their 
conversion  is  compared  to  this  sorrow,  Zech  xii,  11 
One  of  the  most  pathetic  elegies  ever  uttered  was 
pronounced  over  the  dead  monarch  by  the  most 
plaintive  of  prophets,  Jeremiah.  With  the  death 
of  Josiah  the  noblest  and  most  faithful  spirit  of  the 
kings  of  Judah  likewise  expired.  From  that  period 
the  degeneracy  of  the  kingdom  was  rapid.  It  was 
Jeremiah's  lot  to  prophesy  at  a  time  when  all  things 
in  Judah  were  rushing  down  to  the  final  and  mourn- 
ful catastrophe;  when  political  excitement  was  at  its 
height;  when  the  worst  passions  swayed  the  various 
parties  and  the  most  fatal  counsels  prevailed.  It  was 


JEREMIAH. 


243 


his  to  stand  in  the  way  over  which  his  nation  was 
rushing  headlong  to  destruction;  to  make  a  heroic 
effort  to  arrest  it  and  to  turn  it  back;  and  to  fail, 
and  be  compelled  to  step  to  one  side  and  see  his 
own  people  whom  he  loved  with  the  tenderness  of  a 
woman  plunge  over  the  precipice  into  the  wide, 
weltering  ruin. 

The  second  event  was  a  second  battle  at 
Carchemish  between  the  Egyptian  and  Babylonian 
forces,  the  latter  led  by  Nebuchadnezzar.  In  this 
engagement  the  Egyptians  were  totally  defeated, 
and  Syria  and  Palestine  fell  under  the  power  of 
Babylon.  The  battle  took  place  in  the  third  year  of 
Jehoiakim,  according  to  Dan.  i,  i,  and  was  followed 
by  the  first  deportation  of  Jews  to  Babylon.  Jere- 
miah prophesied  of  the  disastrous  consequences  of 
this  battle  to  Egypt,  xlvi,  1-12.  In  B.  C.  609  Baby- 
lon had  two  powerful  rivals,  Assyria  and  Egypt.  In 
604  B.  C.  it  had  the  undisputed  mastery  of  the  East. 

The  third  event  of  Jeremiah's  time  was  the  capture 
of   Jerusalem  by  the  Chaldeans,  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem   and   the   temple,  and   the   exile   of   the 
major  part  of  the  people  to  Babylon.     The  fall  of  a 
great  state  is  an  epoch  in  the  history  of  the  world. 
The  fall  of    Babylon   and  Egypt  and  Rome  was  of 
immense  significance.     But  the  fall  of  Jerusalem  and 
the  Jewish  state,  both  the  first  and  the  second  time— 
the  one  time  by  the  Chaldeans,  and  the  other  by 
the  Romans— affected  the  whole  race  of  man  as  no 
other  national  disaster  ever  has.     The  ministry  of 
Jeremiah   is  one  of   extraordinary  interest  from  the 
fact  that  he  was  associated  most  intimately  with  the 
close  of  the  kingdom  of  Judah.     He  is  the  connect- 
ing link  and  the  bond  between  the  old  and  the  new, 


244  OUTLINE   STUDIES. 

the  monarchy  and  the  dependency  into  which  Judah 
sank  after  the  captivity.  What  Jerome  Savonarola 
was  to  the  Roman  Catholic  church  when  sinking  to 
the  lowest  point  of  infamy  under  Alexander  VI., 
that,  and  much  more,  Jeremiah  was  to  Judah  in  the 
closing  years  of  the  monarchy.  His  task  was  hard, 
thankless;  his  life  one  of  contention  and  strife;  but 
faithfully  he  finished  his  work  and  received  his  re- 
ward. 

It  happens  always  that  when  a  state  becomes  in- 
volved in  difficulties,  when  its  affairs  are  entangled 
and  ruin  threatens,  the  people  range  themselves  into 
contending  and  hostile  parties.  So  it  transpired  in 
the  closing  days  of  the  kingdom  of  Judah;  much 
more  so  was  it  in  the  last  years  of  Jerusalem  in  the 
first  century  of  the  Christian  era.  The  nation  split 
into  fierce  factions;  each  denounced  the  other  as  the 
chief  cause  of  all  their  woes.  Mutual  distrust  broke 
up  families,  divided  friends,  made  a  man's  enemies 
those  of  his  own  household.  Every  one  had  to  take 
heed  to  his  neighbor  and  suspect  his  brother,  Jer. 
ix,  4;  xii,  6. 

Amid  such  contending  factions  Jeremiah's  life  w^as 
spent.  We  do  not  know  that  he  ever  saw  a  day  of 
true  rest,  of  peaceful  quiet.  He  knew  not  but  that 
he  should  seal  his  testimony  with  his  blood  at  any 
•time.  Yet  he  never  quailed  before  the  factions  that 
clamored  for  his  life,  nor  faltered  in  duty  when  to 
announce  the  tremendous  judgments  of  God  mad- 
dened his  countrymen  to  desperation.  It  is  strange 
that  so  many  writers  of  modern  times  regard  Jere- 
miah as  weak,  feeble-minded,"  almost  cowardly. 
We  have  no  sympathy  with  such  unworthy  and  in- 
adequate opinions  of  him.     His  ministry  was  one  of 


JEREMIA.H.  245 

admonition  and  antagonism,  i,  17,  18.  Against  the 
whole  land,  against  the  kings  of  Judah,  against  the 
princes,  against  the  priests,  against  the  prophets  he 
was  to  stand.  He  was  to  gird  up  his  loins  and  arise 
and  speak  all  that  God  commanded  him.  He  was  to 
be  the  solitary  fortress,  the  column  of  iron,  the  wall 
of  brass,  fearless,  undismayed  in  any  presence;  the 
one  grand,  immovable  figure  who  pursued  the  apos- 
tatizing people  and  rulers,  delivering  his  message  in 
the  temple  court  or  the  royal  chamber  or  the  street, 
whether  they  would  hear  or  forbear.  Inconsequence 
he  was  the  prophet  of  unwelcome  truths,  hated  of 
all,  but  feared  as  well  by  all.  It  was  a  mission  re- 
quiring courage,  faith,  strength,  will;  a  mission  no 
weakling  could  fill,  no  coward  would  undertake. 
Jeremiah  is  one  of  the  very  great  men  of  the  world. 

His  prevailing  tone  is  that  of  sadness.  The  song 
he  sings  is  keyed  in  the  minor.  He  is  the  dirge-poet 
of  Israel.  He  composed  the  national  requiem  of  his 
people,  and  his  own  also.  His  style  is  not  so  lofty 
as  that  of  Isaiah;  he  does  not  rise  so  high,  nor  is  his 
flight  so  sustained.  Isaiah  is  the  royal  poet  who 
sails  aloft  on  powerful  wing  into  the  azure  deeps 
above;  Jeremiah  wrings  a  lower  flight,  with  measured 
beat  and  slow,  the  very  movement  indicating  the 
mournful  nature  of  his  theme. 

Another  thing  to  be  noted  is  the  personal  charac- 
ter of  his  writing.  No  writer  of  the  Old  Testament 
enters  so  largely  into  his  own  composition  as  this 
prophet.  His  personal  affairs  are  not  meant.  He 
never  alludes  to  his  private  history  except  where 
the  nature  of  a  given  narrative  requires  it.  Never- 
theless, his  inner  and  outer  life  is  woven  into  his 
prophecies.     The  man  himself  v.ith  his  sorrows  and 


246  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

woes,  with  his  sensibilities  always  bleeding,  with  his 
disappointments  and  his  blasted  affections  weeping 
out  their  life  in  silent  injury,  is  ever  before  us  as  we 
read.  The  causes  of  his  profound  grief  are  not  hard 
to  find.  His  love  for  his  people  was  one  source. 
This  is  very  striking;  it  reminds  one  of  Moses  and 
Paul.  The  prophet  stands  ready  to  make  any  sacri- 
fice, to  endure  any  pain,  if  thereby  the  people,  his 
people,  are  reformed  and  restored.  The  lamenta- 
tions are  a  proof  of  it.  But  then  it  is  hopeless,  as 
he  well  knows.  Every  effort  to  lead  them  back  to 
God  and  to  set  them  in  the  right  place  before  Him, 
he  saw  was  vain.  They  rejected  the  divine  testi- 
mony, they  would  none  of  his  counsel.  God  no 
longer  hearkened  to  prayer  for  Judah.  The  end  was 
drawing  on  apace.  Jeremiah  prophesies  under  this 
impression.  A  sorrowful  task,  a  hopeless  love.  No 
wonder  he  longed  for  "  a  lodge  in  some  vast  wilder- 
ness "  that  he  might  leave  his  people  and  go  from 
them,  ix,  2.  No  wonder  that  he  never  married,  that 
he  would  ask  no  woman  to  share  the  intolerable  bur- 
den that  weighed  on  his  heart.  Like  Job  he  poured 
bitter  imprecations  on  the  day  of  his  birth,  xx,  14- 
18;  was  tortured  with  doubt  as  to  the  word  of  the 
Lord  to  himself,  xxi,  7,  8.  He  is  the  "  prophet  of 
the  broken  heart."  Who  can  forget  the  exquisite 
pathos  with  which  he  weeps  over  Judah,  viii,  21,  22; 
■ix,  I,  22.  How  much  of  genuine  patriotism  breathes 
in  those  tender  words,  "  Weep  ye  not  for  the  dead, 
neither  bemoan  him;  but  weep  sore  for  him  that 
goeth  away:  for  he  shall  return  no  more,  nor  see  his 
native  country,"  xxii,  10.  One  cannot  but  see  in 
Jeremiah  something  of  the  Spirit  of  Christ.  Indeed, 
it  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  on  a  small  scale  that 


JEREMIAH.  247 

Life  which  is  above  all  other  lives  is  reproduced  in 
this  prophet.  Jeremiah's  love  for  his  people,  his 
anxiety  to  do  them  good  and  naught  but  good,  his 
tears  at  the  defeat  of  his  efforts  to  reclaim  them,  and 
the  hopefulness  with  which  he  looks  forward  to  their 
final  recovery  and  blessing,  are  but  a  dim  reflection 
of  what  was  perfect  in  the  heart  of  the  Lord  Jesus. 
Grace  and  the  Spirit  of  God  will  make  any  one  like 
Christ. 

It  is  no  easy  task  to  give  anything  like  a  satisfac- 
tory analysis  of  these  prophecies.  It  is  well  known 
that  the  order  in  the  Septuagint  version  differs  con- 
siderably from  that  found  in  the  Hebrew  Bible, 
chaps,  xlvi-lii,  being  inserted  after  chap,  xxv,  13,  as 
also  other  changes.  It  is  next  to  impossible  to  de- 
termine whether  the  Septuagint  is  translated  from  a 
different  recension  of  the  text  from  that  of  our 
Bible  and  an  older  arrangement  of  the  prophecies, 
or  whether  they  attempted  to  introduce  an  order  ac- 
cording to  their  notions  of  the  chronology  of  Jere- 
miah's utterances.  At  any  rate  in  no  other  book  is 
there  so  great  variation.  Two  things  should  be  borne 
in  mind  in  reading  Jeremiah:  first,  that  the  arrange- 
ment does  not  follow  chronological  order.  This  is 
evident  from  the  introduction  of  the  names  of  the 
kings  (see  xxxvii  and  xxxv,  etc.).  But  this  is  not 
uncommon  in  Scripture.  God  often  sets  aside  the 
natural  sequence  of  events  in  favor  of  a  moral 
sequence.  Second,  the  arrangement  seems  to  follow 
subjects.  The  prophecies  are  collated  according  to 
the  themes  and  classed  by  thoughts  rather  than  by 
time. 

A  very  general  division  is  the  following:  Part  i, 
chaps,  i-xxiv,  prophecies  with  reference  to   Judah, 


248  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

with  historical  matter.  Part  2,  chaps,  xxv-xlv, 
prophecies  of  judgment  and  of  comfort.  Part  3, 
prophecies  respecting  various  nations,  chaps  xlvi-h*. 
Chapter  fifty-two  is  a  historical  appendix,  added  by 
another  hand,  cf.  2  Kings  xxiv,  i8-xxv. 

A  more  particular  analysis  is  submitted  for  the 
reader's  aid: 

I.  Chaps,  i-xxxviii:  Prophecies  and  historical 
passages  regarding  Judah  and  its  kings  to  the  cap- 
ture of  Jerusalem.  This  section  falls  into  two  parts: 
(i)  i-xxiv,  wherein  are  pleadings  with  the  people; 
sins  rebuked,  backsliding  and  apostasy  exposed  and 
denounced;  repentance  urged,  with  the  sorrowful 
conviction  on  the  part  of  the  prophet  that  every  ap- 
peal is  vain;  (2)  xxv-xxxviii,  announcements  of  ap- 
proaching judgments  and  promises  of  assured 
blessing  for  the  last  days, — chaps,  xxxi,  xxxii. 

II.  Chaps,  xxxix-xliv:  Narrative,  mingled  with 
prophecies,  after  the  fall  of  Jerusalem. 

III.  Chapter  forty-five  stands  by  itself,  and  is  a 
special  word  of  comfort  from  the  Lord  to  Baruch, 
Jeremiah's  friend  and  scribe.  In  the  midst  of  Judah's 
ruin  and  the  crashing  down  of  Jewish  hopes,  God 
turns  aside  to  assuage  the  sorrow  and  dry  the  tears 
of  Baruch.  That  is  very  precious.  The  individual, 
no  matter  how  obscure,  is  not  forgotten  by  the  great 
God  of  heaven  and  earth,  even  in  the  midst  of  stu- 
pendous providences  and  overwhelming  judgments. 
A  word  of  admonition  is  addressed  to  him  to  which 
all  may  well  give  earnest  heed:  "And  seekest  thou 
great  things  for  thyself?  seek  them  not,"  vs.  5.  A 
mighty  word  which  Mr.  Spurgeon  tells  us  kept  him 
in  the  ambitions  of  his  youth. 

IV.  Chaps,    xlvi-li:     Prophecies    against    certain 


JEJBEMIAH.  249 

Gentile  nations.  The  doom  of  the  following  is  pro- 
nounced: Egypt,  Philistia,  Moab,  Ammon,  Edom, 
Damascus,  Kedar,  Elam,  Babylon.  All  these  pre- 
dictions have  been  fulfilled.  They  were  made  when 
some  of  the  nations  against  which  they  were  spoken 
were  at  the  zenith  of  their  power.  The  majority 
of  them  were  overrun  and  subjugated  by  Babylon, 
which  in  its  turn  was  totally  overthrown. 

Under  five  different  kings  Jeremiah  carried  on  his 
difficult  ministry,  (i)  During  eighteen  years  or 
more  (i,  2)  of  Josiah's  reign  he  bore  his  testimony 
often  with  tears,  always  with  anxious  forebodings. 
It  was  a  time  of  distress  and  anguish  for  the  prophet. 
For  although  Josiah  was  one  of  the  best  kings  that 
ever  sat  on  the  throne  of  David,  nevertheless  the 
great  reformation  which  he  promoted  was  largely  an 
outward  one.  Hardly  was  the  king's  sad  funeral 
over  when  the  people  hastened  to  revive  the  abom- 
inations which  he  had  so  nobly  suppressed,  2  Kings 
xxiii,  30-37.  And  so  Jeremiah  utters  that  despairing 
cry  which  reveals  how  hopeless  was  any  reform,  the 
sins  were  so  inveterate:  ''  Can  the  Ethiopian  change 
his  skin,  or  the  leopard  his  spots?"  xiii,  23.  (2)  Dur- 
ing the  reign  of  Jehoahaz,  or  Shallum  as  he  is  some- 
times called  (Jer,  xxii,  11),  which  was  very  short. 
He  was  set  up  in  opposition  to  Egypt,  and  v/as  soon 
deposed  by  that  power.  (3)  During  the  reign  of 
Jehoiakim  whom  Pharoah  substituted  for  Jehoahaz, 
2  King  xxiii,  34,  for  ten  years  the  prophet  pursued 
his  difficult  work.  Opposed  by  false  prophets  who 
pretended  to  have  a  ''word  from  Jehovah,"  with  the 
court  and  the  nobles  following  Egypt's  policy,  Jere- 
miah contended  for  the  reforms  inaugurated  by 
Josiah;  pleaded,  warned,  entreated,  wept,  but  to  no 


250  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

purpose.  Judah  was  bent  on  having  her  own  way, 
and  nothing  could  turn  her  from  it.  (4)  During  the 
brief  reign  of  Jehoiakim,  called  also  Coniah,  Jer. 
xxii,  24,  he  witnessed  for  God,  but  the  danger  so 
long  foretold  at  length  came  nigh.  First  the  king 
and  queen-mother,  then  nobles,  artisans,  princes,  the 
worth  and  strength  of  the  nation,  were  carried  away 
into  captivity,  2  Kings  xxiv,  15,  16.  (5)  During  the 
eleven  years  of  Zedekiah  whom  Nebuchadnezzar 
had  placed  upon  the  throne,  and  who  rebelled 
against  his  master  in  spite  of  all  the  threats  and  pre- 
dictions of  the  prophet,  the  final  crushing  blow  fell, 
and  Zedekiah  lost  his  sons,  his  own  eyes,  the  holy 
city  and  the  state. 

After  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  the  party  ad- 
verse to  Babylon  determined  to  cast  in  their  fortunes 
with  Egypt.  Jeremiah,  who  had  remained  in  Judea 
after  the  final  catastrophe,  protested  against  the 
movement,  and  predicted  its  calamitous  issue.  But 
the  obstinate  party,  blind  to  everything  save  what 
appeared  to  them  their  only  safety,  would  not  hear. 
They  fled  to  Egypt,  and  carried  Jeremiah  with  them. 
Tradition  has  it  that  he  died  there;  one  form  of  it 
narrating  that  for  his  faithfulness  in  prophesying 
against  the  idolatry  of  his  countrymen  he  was  stoned 
to  death;  another,  that  he  repaired  finally  to  Baby- 
lon where  he  died.  But  all  is  uncertain. 
'  The  question  may  very  properly  be  asked.  Why 
did  the  prophet  advocate  submission  to  the  Gentile 
king,  and  urge  the  opening  of  the  city  to  him?  xvii, 
12,  13,  17;  xxxviii,  17-23.  Does  it  not  look  like 
treason,  at  least  like  disloyalty  to  Jewish  interests? 
It  is  quite  evident  throughout  the  later  prophecies  of 
Jeremiah  that  God  had  conferred  universal  power  on 


JEKEMIAH. 


251 


Nebuchadnezzar,  and  he  was  to  subdue  all  kingdoms 
to  his  rule.  He  is  even  called  "  God's  servant,"  xxv, 
9;  xxvii,  6.     To  resist  him  was  to  resist  God.  It  was 
in  virtue  of  Israel's  failure  that   power  passed  into 
the   hand  of  the  king  of   Babylon,  and   from   this 
point  in  human  history  the  "  times  of  the  Gentiles  " 
begin  their  course.     But  of  this  we  shall  have  occa- 
sion to  speak  more  at  length  when  we  reach  the  book 
of  Daniel.     It  was   because  a  new  order  of   things 
was  now  to  be  inaugurated  that  the    prophet  ex- 
horted   his    people    to    submit  to    Nebuchadnezzar. 
According  to  Deu.  xxxii,  8,  the   nations  were  orig- 
inally distributed  with  reference  to  Israel  as  the  cen- 
ter.    All  were  grouped  about  the  center,  cf.  Ezek.v, 
5.     Now   this   arrangement  was  to  be   broken    up. 
Gentile  supremacy,  so  long  held  in  check,  is  to  as- 
sert itself.     It  was  God's  doings.     Hence  submission 
to  Nebuchadnezzar  meant  submission  to  the  will  of 
God. 

The  vast  majority  of  the  predictions  in  the  book 
of  Jeremiah  related  to  his  own  times,  to  the  kings 
and  people  of  Judah  and  of  Babylon,  and  to  the 
captivity  and  its  attendant  scenes.  But  there  are 
some  that  belong  to  the  distant  future— the  future 
not  only  of  Jeremiah,  but  also  of  us,  for  they  are  not 
yet  fulfilled.  Of  some  of  these  mention  is  now  to  be 
made. 

I.  The  Messiah.  Jeremiah  has  not  so  much  to 
announce  of  Him  as  Isaiah  has,  but  he  is  not 
deficient  touching  this  great  hope.  What  he  does 
disclose  concerning  Him  is  of  the  deepest  impor- 
tance and  very  instructive.  In  chap,  xxiii,  5,  6,  we 
read,  *'  Behold  the  days  come,  saith  the  Lord,  that  I 
will  raise  unto  David  a  righteous  Branch,  and  a  king 


252  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

shall  reign  and  prosper  and  he  shall  be  called  *  The 
Lord  our  righteousness.'  "  In  every  way  this  is  a 
very  notable  prediction.  The  King  will  be  of  the 
house  of  David,  and  prosperity  shall  attend  His  ad 
ministration,  judgment  and  justice  He  shall  execute 
in  the  earth.  Just  at  the  time  of  this  prophecy  the 
throne  of  David  was  imperilled,  justice  and  equity 
were  almost  unknown,  and  wickedness  was  in  the 
ascendent.  But  a  better  day  approaches.  The  name 
of  the  King  is  a  wonderful  onQ,  Jehovah  Tsidkeim — - 
the  Lord  our  righteousness.  The  name  in  this  case, 
as  in  the  similar  instances,  is  in  reality  a  sentence 
expressing  a  great  truth:  The  Lord  (is)  our  right- 
eousness. Jehovah-Nissi  (Ex.  xvii,  15);  Jehovah- 
Shammah  (Ezek.  xlviii,  35);  Jehovah-Jireh  (Gen.  xii, 
14),  and  this  name  in  Jeremiah,  are  all  promises  and 
also  revelations  of  the  character  and  fidelity  of  God. 
Here  we  have  the  humanity  of  the  Savior  predicted 
as  the  descendent  of  David,  and  His  Godhead  like- 
wise in  the  majestic  name  given  Him.  Christ  our 
Righteousness  is  an  all-sufficient  answer  to  the 
claims  of  law  and  justice  upon  us,  and  to  our  deep 
need.  Luther  once  said,  "  Your  menaces  and  ter- 
rors, domine  Satan,  trouble  me  not;  for  there  is  one 
whose  name  is  called  the  Lord  our  Righteousness  on 
whom  I  believe.  He  it  is  who  hath  abrogated  the 
law,  condemned  sin,  abolished  death,  destroyed  hell, 
and  is  a  satan  to  thee,  O  satan."  John  Trapp  thinks 
this  sentence  of  Luther's  is  of  so  much  worth  that 
rather  than  be  without  it  one  should  **  fetch  it  on  his 
knees  from  Rome  to  Jerusalem." 

2.  Restoration  of  Israel,  xxxi.  This  is  repeatedly 
promised  in  Jeremiah  and  secured  by  the  most 
solemn  asseverations  which   can   be  used,  but  it  is 


JEREMIAH.  253 

minutely  described  in  this  and  the  following  chap- 
ter. The  reason  of  their  restoration  is  disclosed, 
vs.  3,  viz.,  the  unalterable  love  of  God.  The  extent 
of  the  regathering  is  foretold,  vss.  8,  31;  from  every 
quarter  of  the  earth  both  the  house  of  Israel  and  the 
house  of  Judah  will  be  brought  back  again.  With 
deep  penitence  and  supplications  for  their  sins  will 
they  come,  the  Lord  Himself  leading  them,  vs.  9. 
Scarcely  anything  can  exceed  the  pathos,  the  exqui- 
site tenderness  with  which  the  penitents  and  their 
Redeemer  talk  together,  as  it  is  foretold  in  vss.  18- 
20.  Of  course  this  is  true  of  all  genuine  repentance, 
but  it  will  most  emphatically  be  true  in  restored 
Israel,  Zech.  xii,  11-14.  A  new  covenant  is  made 
with  them  in  the  day  they  return  to  God,  vss.  31-37. 
That  we  may  be  assured  that  the  covenant  was  not 
fulfilled  at  the  return  from  the  Babylonian  exile,  it  is 
quoted  once  and  again  in  the  New  Testament  and 
distinctly  applied  to  the  Jews  of  the  future,  Rom.  xi, 
26,27;  Heb.  viii,  8-13;  x,  16,  17.  A  stijl  more  con- 
vincing proof  of  the  restoration  is  given  in  chap, 
xxxii,  6-15, — the  account  of  the  purchase  of  Hana- 
meel's  land  by  Jeremiah.  The  Chaldeans  were  lay- 
ing siege  to  the  city;  and  that  they  would  capture  it 
the  prophet  very  well  knew.  And  yet  he  is  bidden 
buy  his  cousin's  field,  pay  the  money  for  it,  for  God 
gave  him  the  assurance  that  in  due  time  the  people 
would  be  restored  to  their  inheritance.  Abraham 
bought  a  field  for  his  dead;  Jeremiah  bought  one  for 
a  nation  yet  unborn.  God  led  him  to  commit  him- 
self openly  to  the  faith  of  Israel's  final  restoration. 

3.  Symbolic  acts.  Jeremiah  indulges  in  many  such 
and  each  of  them  has  a  significant  prophetic  mean- 
ing.    Ezekiel  is  fonder  of  them  than  Jeremiah.     In- 


254  OUTLINE    STrDIES. 

struction  by  symbolic  action  is  common  in  Oriental 
countries,  however  strange  and  even  childish  it  may 
appear  to  the  matter-of-fact  dwellers  in  western 
lands.  Southern  Italians  often  will  carry  on  a  con- 
versation by  pantomime,  not  an  audible  word  being 
spoken.  Much  more  does  such  method  of  commu- 
nication prevail  in  the  Levant. 

One  of  these  striking  acts  of  the  prophet  is  re- 
corded in  chapter  thirteen  of  our  book.  It  is  the 
account  of  his  hiding  by  divine  command  a  linen 
girdle  in  a  cleft  of  a  rock  by  the  river  Euphrates. 
The  narrative  tells  us  that  the  prophet  did  so,  twice 
making  the  journey  to  the  designated  point.  Con- 
siderable discussion  has  arisen  among  interpreters 
as  to  the  reality  of  this  transaction.  From  several 
considerations  we  believe  that  he  actually  performed 
what  is  here  described.  The  only  question  of  diffi- 
culty is  as  to  the  word  rendered  Euphrates  (P'rath). 
Almost  invariably  it  means  the  ancient  river  on 
which  the  Chaldean  capital  was  situated.  Some, 
however,  contend  that  the  word  indicates  some  place 
near  Jerusalem.  It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that 
after  Jehoiakim  cut  the  prophetic  roll  into  strips 
with  his  penknife  and  burnt  the  strips  in  the  brazier 
at  his  feet,  the  prophet  disappeared  from  Jerusalem, 
and  for  a  period  of  nearly  seven  years  his  where- 
abouts is  unknown.  It  is  altogether  probable  that 
during  that  time  he  may  have  been  once  and  again 
in  the  region  of  Babylon,  at  least  of  the  Euphrates. 

Another  most  significant  act  of  his  was  that  of 
breaking  the  earthen  bottle  in  the  valley  of  Hinnom 
in  the  presence  of  the  priest  and  elders,  chap.  xix. 
Most  impressive  must  have  been  the  lesson  the 
prophet  intended  to  enforce,  when  he  dashed  the 


JEREMIAH.  255 

jar  to  the  ground  in  their  sight,  thereby  intimating 
how  the  Lord  would  break  "the  people  in  the  city," 
so  that  the  ears  of  the  hearer  of  such  awful  tidings 
should  tingle.  It  was  done  in  the  valley  of  the  Hin- 
nom,  the  place,  it  would  seem,  which  had  witnessed 
the  dreadful  spectacle  of  human  sacrifices  to  the 
brutal  Moloch.  His  temptation  of  the  Rechabites, 
chap.  XXXV,  must  also  have  conveyed  a  very  solemn 
lesson  to  the  people,  had  they  had  ears  to  hear  and 
hearts  to  feel.  Jeremiah  bade  these  ancient  teetotal- 
ers to  drink  wine,  offered  them  the  cup;  but  they 
flatly  refused.  The  prophet  then  pointed  the  moral 
and  pressed  home  the  application;  but  Israel  would 
not  heed  nor  repent  nor  obey.  God,  we  may  well 
sa}',  exhausted  all  means,  tried  every  agency,  em- 
ployed every  kind  of  appeal,  to  move  His  people 
and  to  lead  them  back  to  their  allegiance  to  Him. 
Obdurate,  hard  hearted,  stiff  of  neck,  rebellious,  they 
were  insensible  to  every  effort  and  dumb  to  every 
entreaty.  And  so  at  length  the  judgment  which 
could  no  longer  be  delayed,  broke  down  upon  them 
in  all  its  appalling  fury.  Grace  despised,  mercy  re- 
jented,  love  spurned  and  goodness  outraged,  become 
a*,  length  vv^ip?  in  the  hands  of  offended  justice. 


LAMENTATIONS. 

It  is  attested  by  en  almost  unbroken  tradition  that 
the  author  of  this  book  was  Jeremiah.  The  Sep- 
tuagint  Translation,  the  Targum,  Talmud,  Josephus, 
all  unite  in  declaring  Jeremiah,  the  prophet,  to  be  the 
writer.  Prefixed  to  the  book  we  find  in  the  Septua- 
gint  the  following  note:  "  And  it  came  to  pass  after 
Israel  had  been  carried  away  captive,  and  Jerusalem 
made  desolate,  Jeremiah  sat  weeping,  and  lamented 
this  lament  over  Jerusalem,  and  said."  It  would  re- 
quire strong  evidence  indeed  to  set  aside  testimony 
so  explicit  and  direct  as  this.  Prof.  Plumtre  sums 
up  the  internal  evidence  in  support  of  the  common 
view  as  to  the  authorship  thus:  "  The  poems  belong 
unmistakably  to  the  last  days  of  the  kingdom,  or  the 
commencement  of  the  exile,  and  are  written  by  one 
who  speaks  w^ith  the  vividness  and  intensity  of  an 
eye  witness  of  the  misery  which  he  bewails."  Local 
belief  has  placed  "  the  Grotto  of  Jeremiah"  in  the 
face  of  a  rocky  hill  on  the  western  side  of  the  city 
where  these  lamentations  were  uttered.  The 
prophet  may  well  be  supposed  to  have  taken  his 
stand  and  poured  out  his  grief  over  his  fallen  coun- 
try at  a  point  where  the  ruined  city  could  be  seen. 

The  main  characteristic  of  the  book  is  indicated 
by  its  title,  "  Lamentations."  TJirenoi,  loud  weep- 
ings, hot  burning  and  choked  with  sobs,  is  the  em- 
phatic word   the  Septuagint  uses.     It  is  an  elegy,  a 


LAMENTATIONS. 


257 


dirge,  written  over  the  desolation  of  Jerusalem  by 
one  whose  love  for  it,  guilty  as  he  knew  it  to  be,  was 
like  that  of  a  father  for  a  child,  a  wife  for  her  hus- 
band. The  prophet's  grief  for  the  smitten  city  re- 
minds one  of  David's  for  Saul  and  Jonathan  (2  Sam. 
i,  17-27),  of  Rachel's  for  her  dead  children  (Jer.xxxi, 
15).  Theory  of  anguish  at  the  fall  of  Constanti- 
nople; "  the  last  sigh  of  the  Moor,"  as  he  rode  away 
an  exile  from  beautiful  Cordova;  the  wail  of  pity  at 
the  expulsion  of  the  Huguenots  from  France  and  the 
Waldenses  from  the  Piedmontese  valleys,  have  not 
been  forgotten,  for  they  made  a  profound  impression 
on  the  memory  and  the  conscience  of  the  world, and 
literature  has  recorded  them  in  words  of  such  ten- 
derness as  move  even  the  coldest  reader.  But  Jere- 
miah's lamentation  for  favored,  sinful  and  ruined 
Jerusalem  is  a  cry  of  sorrow  so  touching  as  to  move 
the  stoutest  heart,  and  must  have  been  read  with 
streaming  eyes  and  quivering  lips  by  many  a  Jew. 
In  all  literature  there  is  nothing  more  pathetic  than 
this  mournful  dirge 

I.  The  first  lament,  chap.  i.  There  are  two  parts 
m  this  first  chapter:  (i)  Zion,  the  widow,  vss.  i-ii. 
The  description  of  the  sorrow-smitten  city  is  won- 
derfully graphic.  Like  a  woman  bereft  of  her  hus- 
band and  her  children,  seated  on  the  ground  with 
disheveled  hair,  stripped  of  all  her  ornaments,  clad 
in  weeds,  weeping  and  wailing,  is  the  prophet's  vivid 
picture  of  the  once  proud  and  splendid  city.  It  is 
Judea  capta  he  describes.  Of  all  her  lovers  not  one 
is  there  to  comfort  her.  The  gates  are  gone,  the 
priests  sigh,  the  princes  flee  like  the  timid  hart,  and 
the  children  are  gone  into  captivity.  But  the  faith- 
ful servant  of  God  fails  not  to  make  known  the  cause 


258  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

of  such  unparalleled  disaster,  such  fearful  woe.  It 
is  the  Lord  who  has  afflicted  Zion;  it  is  because  of 
her  multiplied  transgressions  that  He  has  turned 
against,  and  "left  her  naked  to  her  foes."  (2)  Zion's 
confession,  vss.  12-22.  In  this  part  Zion  speaks, 
while  in  the  first  part  it  is  the  prophet  who  laments. 
She  bewails  her  dreadful  plight,  challenges  the  world 
to  furnish  a  parallel  to  her  misery.  Yet  she  acknowl- 
edges that  her  punishment  is  from  the  Lord  and  her 
sins  have  brought  the  accumulated  woe  upon  her. 
"The  Lord  is  righteous;  I  have  rebelled"  's  Zion's 
confession. 

2.  The  Second  Lament,  chap,  ii,  is  spoken  by  the 
prophet.  It  is  a  very  remarkable  description  of  the 
siege  of  Jerusalem  and  the  ruin  which  followed  its 
capture,  vss.  1-12.  The  walls  and  palaces  of  the 
city,  the  altar  and  the  sanctuary  are  defiled,  the 
elders  sit  covered  with  dust,  the  virgins  walk  with 
head  bowed  down  to  the  ground,  and  the  children 
swoon  in  the  streets,  and  breathe  out  their  young 
lives  into  their  mothers'  bosoms.  Then  again  the 
prophet  discloses  the  secret  of  these  awful  calami- 
ties; it  is  the  sin  of  the  people;  the  visions  of  the 
false  prophets  that  have  led  astray.  And  now  Jeho- 
vah has  turned  against  His  people  and  city  like  a 
mighty  warrior,  and  doom  has  fallen  upon  them  all. 

3.  The  Third  Lament,  chap.iii,  is  likewise  spoken 
by  the  prophet.  But  it  differs  from  the  preceding 
in  that  here  he  enters  into  the  miseries  of  his  people 
and  makes  them  his  own.  In  Zion's  affliction  he  is 
afflicted.  He  shares  to  the  uttermost  the  desola- 
tions of  his  people.  We  see  the  like  spirit  in  Daniel, 
(ix).  Love — love  to  God  and  man — is  a  marvelous 
thing.     Paul  could  say,  "  Who  is  weak,  and  I  am  not 


LAMENTATIONS.  259 

weak?  grieved,  and  I  not  grieved?  offended,  and  I 
burn  not?"  2  Cor.  xi,  29.  The  truest  philanthropy 
and  patriotism  are  found  in  the  genuine  servants  of 
God. 

4.  The  Fourth  Lament,  chap,  iv,  is  uttered  also 
by  the  prophet.  The  sense  of  the  overwhelming 
overthrow  that  had  come  is  intensified  to  the  utter- 
most in  this  chapter.  God's  judgments  on  the  guilty 
place  have  been  pitiless,  tremendous.  Nothing  is 
left  but  smouldering  ruin,  slain  men,  weeping  women, 
orphan  children. 

But  there  is  now  a  gleam  of  hope.  Divine  wrath 
has  exhausted  itself,  and  mercy  can  once  more  flow 
out  to  the  stricken  ones.  Thus  in  verse  twenty-tlvo 
this  glad  announcement  is  made:  "  The  punishment 
of  thine  iniquity  is  accomplished,  O  daughter  of 
Zion;  He  will  carry  thee  no  more  away  into  cap- 
tivity." 

5.  The  Fifth  Lament,  chap,  v,  spoken  by  the  Jew- 
ish people,  who  make  confession  and  appeal  to  God 
for  help,  deliverance  and  forgiveness.  The  ground 
of  their  appeal  is  their  desolation  and  their  utter 
helplessness. 

The  book  of  Lamentations  teaches  among  others 
this  great  truth,  that  the  affliction  of  God's  people, 
even  when  they  most  deserve  it,  does  not  escape  His 
eye.  His  Spirit  enters  into  it  through  His  servant 
the  prophet,  and  shares  it  with  them.  **  In  all  their 
affliction  he  was  afflicted."  The  divine  pity  for  the 
sufferings  which  love  will  not  avert — how  wonderful 
it  is!  Jesus  weeping  at  the  grave  of  Lazarus,  over 
Jerusalem,  is  an  amazing  scene,  and  one  which  can 
not  be  fully  comprehended. 


EZEKIEL. 

We  should  bear  in  mind  that  certain  prophets  were 
contemporary.  Jeremiah  should  be  studied  in  con- 
nection with  Ezekiel  and  Daniel;  in  fact,  the  three, 
together  with  the  minor  prophets,  Zephaniah  and 
Habakkuk,  might  very  profitably  be  taken  together 
as  a  group  that  deal  largely  with  the  same  period 
and  to  a  great  extent  with  the  same  events.  Ezekiel 
is  closely  related  to  Jeremiah.  He  began  his  pro- 
phetic ministry  in  the  fifth  year  of  Jehoiakin's  cap- 
tivity, i,  5,  and  prosecuted  it  for  twenty-two  years  at 
least,  xxix,  17.  Whether  for  a  longer  time  or  not 
we  have  no  means  of  knowing.  He  was  the  pro- 
longation of  the  voice  of  Jeremiah.  He  took  up  the 
theme  of  his  fellow  prophet  touching  the  future  of 
the  chosen  people  and  developed  it  more  and  more, 
until  we  get  in  him  and  in  Daniel  a  full  revelation  of 
the  divine  purpose. 

Like  Jeremiah,  Ezekiel  was  a  priest  as  well  as  a 
prophet,  and  the  priestly  character  in  him  is  much 
more  predominant  than  in  the  former.  His  call  to 
the  great  office  is  recorded  in  i,  5,  (cf.  iii,  1-15).  As 
Isaiah,  Jeremiah  and  the  other  prophets,  he  was 
brought  into  immediate  contact  with  God,  whereby 
the  gift  was  imparted.  **  The  hand  of  the  Lord  was 
upon  "  him — the  communication  of  a  message  and 
the  power  to  declare  it.  The  imposition  of  the  hand 
was  followed  by  a  vision  of  the  Lord,  and  the  scroll 


E2EKIEL.  261 

written  within  and  without  with  its  awful  burden, 
ii,  10. 

The  place  where  Ezekiel  prophesied  was  at  Tel- 
Abib  on  the  **  river  Chebar,"  either  a  tributary  of 
the  Euphrates,  or  one  of  the  great  canals  which 
Nebuchadnezzar  constructed.  He  had  been  carried 
into  captivity  with  many  other  Jews  in  the  second 
deportation  to  Chaldea  in  the  reign  of  Jehoiakin.  A 
colony  of  exiles  had  located  at  Chebar,  and  to  them 
was  the  prophet  sent;  among  them  he  exercised  his 
ministry.  But  there  seems  to  be  clear  evidence  that 
the  word  spoken  by  him  was  not  intended  exclu- 
sively for  the  captives  who  dwelt  at  Chebar.  The 
expression,  "  the  house  of  Israel,"  which  occurs  five 
times  in  chapter  three,  and  once  among  these  five  is 
found  "  all  the  house  of  Israel,"  contemplates  a  wider 
circle  of  hearers,  a  larger  audience  than  the  exiles 
among  whom  Ezekiel  dwelt.  In  fact,  the  message 
of  this  prophet  is  for  all  Israel  of  this  day,  and  for 
all  time  down  to  their  predicted  restoration  and 
blessing,  as  chaps,  xl-xlviii  abundantly  attest. 

Chap,  i,  I,  is  the  common  formula  for  the  authen- 
tication of  the  book,  and  not  for  the  first  chapter 
alone.  The  date  "  thirty  years  "  of  this  verse  is 
somewhat  difficult  to  determine.  The  most  satisfac- 
tory explanation  is  that  it  refers  to  Ezekiel's  own 
age.  According  to  Num.  iv,  3,  the  sons  of  Kohath 
— the  line  of  the  priests,  Ex.  vi,  18,  20 — were  to 
enter  on  their  duties  as  priests  at  this  age.  As  a 
priest,  it  seems  fitting  that  Ezekiel  should  begin  his 
work  at  thirty.  In  chap,  xi,  16,  the  Lord  promises 
to  be  a  little  sanctuary  to  the  exiles  in  Chaldea. 
Ezekiel  was  to  be  a  sort  of  ministering  priest  to  them 
at  this  sanctuary.     Hence  his  prophetic  office  prob- 


262  OUTLINE   STUDIES. 

ably  dates  from  his  priestly  age  which  was,  of  course, 
thirty  years. 

In  this  connection  it  may  be  well  to  record  some 
other  dates  of  real  importance  to  the  study  of  the 
books  which  historically  belong  to  the  time  of  the 
fall  of  the  kingdom  of  Judah:  Battle  of  Carchemish 
and  death  of  Josiah,  B.  C.  6ii;  first  invasion  of 
Judea  by  Nebuchadnezzar  (third  year  of  Jehoiakim) 
Dan.  i,  i,  B.C.  606;  second  invasion,  Jehoiakin,  king, 
B,  C.  599;  third  invasion,  Zedekiah,king,  destruction 
of  Jerusalem  and  fall  of  the  kingdom,  B.  C.  589  or 
588.  About  B.  C.  594  Ezekiel  entered  on  his  pro- 
phetic mission  in  which  he  labored  for  at  least  twen- 
ty-two years,  viz.,  to  B.  C.  572.  For  a  considerable 
period  he  was  Jeremiah's  contemporary,  though 
widely  separated  from  the  latter  as  to  place. 

The  book  may  be  divided  into  three  parts:  Part  I, 
chaps,  i-xxiv,  testimonies  from  God  against  Israel  in 
general  and  against  Jerusalem  in  particular.  Part 
II,  chaps,  xxv-xxxii,  judgments  denounced  against 
surrounding  nations.  Part  III,  chaps,  xxxiii-xlviii, 
the  subject  of  Israel  is  resumed,  and  their  restora- 
tion and  blessing  foretold. 

A  more  minute  classification  is  indicated  by  the 
prophet  himself  in  the  several  dates  which  at  inter- 
vals he  places  as  the  superscriptions  to  the  messages 
he  received.  The  groups  with  their  time  notes  are 
the  following:  (i)  Call  and  commission  of  the 
prophet,  i-iii,  15,  time  note,  i,  2.  (2)  Description  of 
the  wickedness  of  Israel,  siege  and  destruction 
of  Jerusalem  and  the  subsequent  calamities,  iii,  16- 
vii;  time  note,  iii,  16.  (3)  Profanation  of  the  temple, 
corruption  of  the  priesthood,  God's  determination 
to  forsake  His  sanctuary,  safety  for  the  faithful  rem- 


EZEKIEL.  263 

nant  and  punishment  for  the  wicked,  chaps,  viii-xix; 
time  note,  viii,  i.  (4)  Terrific  indictment  against 
the  guilty  people,  judgment  no  longer  to  be  delayed, 
chaps,  xx-xxiii;  time  note,  xx,  i.  (5)  Announce- 
ment of  the  final  end,  chaps,  xxiv-xxv;  time  note, 
xxiv,  I.  The  doom  of  the  holy  city  and  people  is 
strangely  represented  by  the  sudden  death  of  the 
prophet's  wife,  and  by  the  stoniness  of  the  grief  that 
was  too  deep  for  tears  and  too  terrible  for  a  funeral 
dirge.  But  Judea  would  not  be  alone  in  the  day  of 
wrath;  Ammon  and  Moab  and  Edom  would  share 
therein.  (6)  Predictions  against  Tyre,  chaps,  xxvi- 
xxviii;  time  note,  xxvi,  i.  (7)  Predictions  against 
Egypt,  chaps,  xxix-xxxi;  time  note,  xxix,  i.  (8) 
Overthrow  of  various  nations  and  death  wail  for 
them,  Israel  not  escaping,  with  appeals  to  repen- 
tance and  promises,  chaps,  xxxii-xxxvi;  time  notes, 
xxxii,  I,  17;  xxxiii,  21.  (9)  Israel's  national  resur- 
rection and  judgment  on  Gog,  the  end  of  God's 
judicial  dealing  with  His  people,  chaps,  xxxvii- 
xxxix;  time  note,  xxxvii,  i.  (10)  Glowing  picture 
of  the  latter-day  glory,  chaps,  xl-xlviii;   time  note, 

xl,  I. 

The  main  object  of  Ezekiel's  prophecies  appears 
to  be  to  comfort  the  exiles  in  their  desolation 
and  loneliness,  to  fortify  them  against  the  idolatrous 
practices  by  which  they  were  surrounded,  and 
to  turn  their  faces  toward  the  land  from  which  they 
had  been  expelled  but  to  which  God  would  restore 
them  if  with  true  hearts  they  should  turn  to  Him 
again.  His  name  is  significant  of  his  mission. 
Ezekiel,  "  God  will  strengthen."  His  whole  ministry 
is  characterized  by  strength.  Like  a  giant  he 
wrestled  against   Jewish  degeneracy   and  Chaldean 


264  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

pride.  He  threw  himself  with  all  the  force  of 
his  passionate  soul  against  the  evils  of  his  people 
and  of  the  times;  but  he  was  as  strong  in  his  tender- 
ness and  love  as  in  his  denunciations  and  reproofs. 
Ezekiel  is  strictly  the  prophet.  Unlike  Jeremiah 
little  of  his  feelings  or  his  personal  history  enters 
into  his  prophecies;  nor  did  he  address  himself 
to  the  guidance  of  public  affairs;  the  circumstances 
of  his  ministry  did  not  require  he  should.  Isaiah, 
Jeremiah,  Daniel,  had  to  do  with  the  kings  of  their 
times,  with  the  people  of  Israel  and  with  the  first 
great  Gentile  empire.  Ezekiel's  mission  was  to  the 
exiles  in  Chaldea;  he  was  the  prophet  of  the  rem- 
nant, the  seer  of  a  glorious  future  for  his  people  and 
for  the  earth. 

1.  His  style  is  lofty  and  trenchant.  Apart  from 
his  prophetic  gift,  which  unquestionably  was  very 
great,  he  possessed  profound   erudition   and  genius. 

2.  In  symbolic  representations  and  prophetic 
action  Ezekiel  abounds.  He  has  visions  (viii-xi), 
symbolic  action  (iv,  v,  1-4),  similitudes  (xii,  xv), 
parables  (xvii),  proverbs  (xviii),  allegories  (xxiii- 
xxiv),  open  prophecies  (as  vi,  vii,  xx,  etc.).  There 
is  scarcely  a  form  in  which  the  divine  commun- 
ications were  made  to  the  men  of  God  that  is 
not  employed  by  this  prophet.  This  wealth  of 
imagery  imparts  singular  beauty  and  variety  to 
his  pages.  They  glow  with  life  and  action  and  bril- 
liant colors.  But  this  fact  makes  the  book  all 
the  more  difficult  of  interpretation.  Jerome  long 
ago  called  the  book  "  an  ocean  and  labyrinth  of  the 
mysteries  of  God  "  Yet  if  we  keep  in  mind  the  dis- 
tinction between  symbols,  and  visions,  and  signs 
wrought  in  the    prophet's    own    person,  our   under- 


EZEKIEL.  265 

standing  of  the  book  will  be  greatly  simplified.  In 
chap,  xxxvii,  i6,  17,  the  prophet  joins  together  two 
sticks  to  represent  the  reunion  of  the  ten  tribes  with 
Judah  and  Benjamin.  In  v,  1-4,  he  cuts  off  his  hair 
and  burns  it,  smites  and  scatters  it  in  the  wind,  to 
signify  approaching  judgment.  At  one  time  we  see 
him  stamping  with  his  feet  and  clasping  his  hands, 
as  if  in  the  agony  of  grief,  vi,  11;  at  another  he  por- 
trays on  a  tile  the  holy  city,  lays  siege  to  this 
pictured  city,  casts  a  mount  against  it,  sets  a  camp 
and  battering  rams  against  it,  in  short,  he  enacts  a 
mimic  battle  in  the  sight  of  the  people,  iv,  i,  2. 
Again,  by  divine  direction  the  prophet  collects  his 
household  stuff  together  for  removal,  and  takes  it 
upon  his  shoulders  and  sets  forth,  with  covered  face, 
as  if  he  were  bound  on  along  and  tiresome  journey, 
xii,  i-ii.  All  these  were  acted  parables  with  a  deep 
significance  for  the  house  of  Israel.  And  just  as  full 
of  meaning  was  his  allegory  of  the  two  eagles,  xvii, 
i-io.  He  showed  by  the  one  eagle  (Nebuchadnezzar) 
who  had  cropped  the  highest  twig  in  Judah  (Jehoia- 
kin),  and  by  the  other  (Pharaoh)  to  whom  the  vine 
that  was  left  (Zedekiah)  was  turning,  the  uprooting 
of  the  whole;  and  digressing  from  that  he  predicts 
the  replanting  of  the  whole  under  Messiah,  the 
Branch  (Leifchild). 

How  much  of  this  symbolic  action  was  really  per- 
formed by  the  prophet  it  might  be  difficult  to  deter- 
mine; yet  there  can  be  little  doubt  but  that  much  of 
it,  perhaps  all  of  it,  was  literally  done  in  the  sight 
of  his  countrymen,  that  the  divine  message  with 
which  he  was  entrusted  might  impress  the  people  all 
the  more  vividly  and  intensely.  It  is  not  too  much 
to  say  that  the  prophets  in  some  cases  became  actual 


266  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

signs,  and  what  they  did  under  the  inspiration  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  was  as  certainly  a  revelation  from  God 
as  what  they  spoke. 

3.  One  symbolic  transaction,  however,  deserves 
special  mention,  viz.:  that  recorded  in  iv,  4-17.  The 
prophet  was  to  lie,  first  on  his  left  side,  for  a  period 
of  three  hundred  and  ninety  days;  next,  on  his  right 
side  for  forty,  days;  the  whole  amounting  to  four 
hundred  and  thirty  days.  It  is  a  question  more  curi- 
ous than  profitable,  whether  Ezekiel  actually  did 
this  in  the  presence  of  his  people,  or  whether  it  was 
a  vision.  That  it  is  within  the  range  of  possibility 
no  one  will  venture  to  deny.  It  is  related  that  a 
nobleman  of  Louvain  lay  sixteen  years  in  one  post- 
ure, and  many  an  invalid  has  maintained  a  like  posi- 
tion for  a  much  longer  time  than  the  prophet;  for  on 
the  supposition  that  Ezekiel  really  did  it  he  spent 
about  thirteen  months  prostrate;  nor  are  we  required 
to  believe  that  it  was  absolutely  continuous.  But 
this  question  is  not  essential  to  an  understanding  of 
the  transaction.  This  prophetic  action  probably  had 
reference  to  the  future.  Hosea  had  already  pre- 
dicted a  repetition  of  the  history  of  Israel  in  the 
afflictions  which  were  about  to  come  upon  them  for 
their  sins;  a  repetition  of  bondage  like  that  of 
Egypt,  Hos.  viii,  13;  ix,  3.  The  forty  years  for  Judah 
would  be  like  that  of  the  wilderness  journey;  years 
not  only  of  punishment,  but  of  discipline  and  prep- 
aration for  the  destiny  that  awaited  them  in  the 
restoration.  The  northern  kingdom  would  suffer 
for  a  much  longer  time  than  the  southern,  hence  the 
significant  390  years,  xx,  35-38.  In  this  view,  Israel 
is  regarded  as  the  greater  transgessor,  Judah  the  less 
guilty.     And  the    facts    appear    to    corroborate   it. 


EZEKIEL.  *  267 

Samaria  was  the  leader  in  apostasy  from  God.  Such 
is  the  opinion  of  Fairbairn,  and  one  that  commends 
itself  to  the  reader.  All  Israel  is  for  the  time  set 
aside,  disowned  of  God  as  His  peculiar  people,  and 
power  passes  over  to  the  Gentiles  in  the  person  of 
Nebuchadnezzar.  A  second  oppression,  comparable 
in  many  ways  to  that  endured  so  long  before  in 
Egypt,  now  awaits  the  people;  longer,  however,  for 
the  kingdom  that  originated  the  rebellion  against 
the  authority  of  God.  In  fact,  Ezekiel  resembles 
the  Pentateuch  in  not  a  few  particulars.  But  in  this 
book  a  totally  new  order  of  things  is  announced, 
xl,  xlviii. 

4.  The  vision  of  the  throne  of  glory,  chap.  i. 
Nothing  can  exceed  the  majesty  of  this  description. 
It  furnished  the  poet  Milton  the  material  for  one  of 
his  finest  paragraphs: 

Forth  rushed  with  whirlwind  sound 

The  chariot  of  paternal  Diety, 

Flashing  thick  flames,  wheel  within  wheel  undrawn, 

Itself  instinct  with  Spirit,  but  conveyed 

By  four  cherubic  shapes;  four  faces  each 

Had  wondrous;  as  with  stars  their  bodies  all 

And  wings  were  set  with  eyes,  with  eyes  the  wheels 

Of  Beryl,  and  careering  fires  between; 

Over  their  heads  a  crystal  firmament, 

Whereon  a  sapphire  throne. 

It  is  the  throne  of  the  Eternal,  the  glory  of  the 
Lord  of  hosts  that  is  the  main  object  of  the  vision, 
vss.  26,  28.  The  '*  four  living  creatures  "  which  are 
closely  associated  with  the  throne  are  identical  with 
the  cherubim  of  Scripture.  Just  what  these  were  or 
symbolized,  it  is  hard  to  determine.  The  term 
cherub  has  been  defined  to  be  one  that  guards  and 
covers.     In   Gen.  iii,  24,  where  the   first  mention  of 


268  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

them  is  made,  they  guard  the  way  of  the  tree  of  life. 
The  prince  of  Tyrus  is  likened  to  the  cherub  that 
covereth,  Ezek.  xxviii,  14.  Perhaps  the  reference  in 
this  last  case  is  to  the  cherubim  that  overshadowed 
the  mercy-seat  of  the  ark  in  the  tabernacle,  Ex.  xxv, 
18-22.  The  ark  of  the  covenant  to  some  extent 
represented  the  throne  of  God.  The  cherubim 
formed  the  sides  of  the  throne;  their  wings,  which 
were  projected  over  their  heads  and  forward  so  as  to 
cover  the  mercy-seat,  made  a  sort  of  canopy;  and 
the  mercy-seat  itself  was  the  base  or  foundation  of 
the  throne.  Between  the  cherubim  and  over  the 
mercy-seat  blazed  the  shekinah,  the  emblem  of  the 
divine  presence.  With  the  blood  of  atonement  on 
the  mercy-seat  the  ark  became  the  throne  of  grace, 
and  is  no  doubt  the  origin  of  that  expression  in 
Heb.  iv,  16. 

But  the  "  living  creatures "  do  more  than  guard 
and  cover.  Here  in  Ezek.  i,  and  in  x,  they  are  inti- 
mately connected  with  the  throne,  are  its  supporters, 
and  in  some  sense  are  the  executors  of  the  divine 
will.  Instinct  with  the  life  of  the  throne,  they  *'  ran 
and  returned  as  the  appearance  of  a  flash  of  light- 
ning." Their  activity  and  intelligence  are  figured 
by  a  system  of  complicated  wheels,  wheels  within 
wheels,  with  high  and  dreadful  rings,  and  filled  with 
eyes.  It  was  through  them  that  the  Spirit  of  the 
throne  went  forth,  everyway,  whithersoever  it  would- 
Each  of  them  in  Ezekiel  had  four  faces,  the  **  face  of 
a  man  and  the  face  of  a  lion  on  the  right  side;  the 
face  of  an  ox  on  the  left  side;  and  each  had  the  face 
of  an  eagle,"  vss.  6-10. 

Moreover,  each  cherub  in  Ezekiel  has  four  wings, 
i,  6;  and  each  has  the  likeness  of  a  man,  vs.  5.     The 


EZEKIEL.  269 

reference  is  doubtless  to  the  bodily  shape.  They 
are  composite,  the  four  great  heads  of  creation,  the 
lion,  the  ox,  the  eagle  and  man  being  united  in  one 
complex  symbolic  figure.  In  Rev.  iv,  they  have 
each  six  wings,  and  appear  to  be  separate  from  each 
other.  And  in  the  Revelation  they  engage  in  acts 
of  worship,  v. 

If  now  we  gather  together  all  that  is  told  us  of  the 
nature  and  functions  of  the  cherubim  it  will  be  seen 
that  they  not  only  guard  and  cover,  but  likewise  exe- 
cute the  sovereign  will  of  Him  who  occupies  the 
glorious  throne,  and  they  render  worship  and  hom- 
age to  Almighty  God.  Besides,  they  are  distin- 
guished for  intelligence  and  piercing  insight,  for 
they  are  "  full  of  eyes  before  and  behind" — they  see 
into  the  future  as  into  the  past;  they  possess  a  kind 
of  omniscience.  And  their  action  is  of  indescribable 
swiftness  and  irresistible  power.  Like  the  lightning 
burst  they  go  and  come. 

What  do  the  cherubim  symbolize?  Some  say,  the 
fullness  of  the  deity;  others,  the  manhood  of  Christ; 
others,  angels;  and  others  still,  redeemed  humanity. 
In  determining  the  significance  of  them,  it  should  be 
borne  in  mind  that  they  are  associated  with  the 
throne  of  God,  and  with  the  great  work  of  redemp- 
tion. On  the  throne  as  seen  by  Ezekiel,  One  whose 
likeness  was  "as  the  appearance  of  a  man"  sat. 
Those  familiar  with  the  language  of  the  Bible  need 
not  be  reminded  that  this  is  the  Old  Testament  de- 
scription of  the  Lord  Jesus.  Be  it  remembered  that 
the  throne  of  Ezekiel  is  one  both  of  judgment  and 
of  grace.  I  believe  the  "  living  creatures  "  of  Ezekiel 
are  hieroglyphs  of  God's  attributes,  of  the  eternal 
forces    and  infinite  powers  of   the  throne   of   God* 


270  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

Whatever  they  have  or  do,  purpose  or  execute,  is 
derived  from  Him  and  the  result  of  His  mighty- 
energy.  Intelligence,  strength,  stability,  and  swift- 
ness in  judgment,  and,  withal,  the  movement  of  the 
whole  course  of  earthly  events,  depend  on  the 
throne.  Majesty,  government  and  providence  unite 
to  form  the  throne  and  execute  His  behests  who  sits 
on  it.  The  execution  of  His  will  is  through  the 
powers  and  forces  which  He  himself  has  created, 
angels,  natural  law,  human  beings,  and  the  animal 
creation.  Everything  is  subject  to  Him,  does  His 
bidding. 

Let  it  be  observed  also,  that  the  throne  of  the 
Supreme  and  Sovereign  Lord  is  seen  in  Chaldea.  In 
xi,  23,  24,  "  the  glory  of  the  Lord  "  departs  from  the 
city  (Jerusalem)  and  is  beheld  by  the  prophet  at 
Chebar.  It  never  returns  to  the  city  or  the  land 
until  the  vision  of  the  glorious  temple  and  city  (xlii, 
1-7)  has  its  ample  fulfillment.  It  is  noteworthy  that 
when  the  glory  of  the  Lord  returns  to  Israel  in  the 
latter  day,  it  comes  "  from  the  east."  It  had  gone 
away  to  the  east  at  its  departure  when  the  throne  of 
David  fell;  power  went  forth  to  the  Gentiles,  and  the 
"times  of  the  Gentiles"  began.  When  it  comes 
back,  it  comes  from  the  east  whither  it  had  gone,  and 
Zion's  time  for  favor  has  come  again. 

This  affords  the  explanation  of  the  title  "  son  of 
man "  given  to  Ezekiel  and  Daniel.  Ninety  and 
more  times  it  is  bestowed  on  Ezekiel,  never  by  him- 
self, but  always  by  the  Revealer;  once  to  Daniel, 
Dan.  viii,  17.  It  belongs  to  the  two  prophets  in  exile 
and  to  no  others.  The  nation  is  rejected;  God  is 
outside  of  it,  stands  at  a  distance  from  it;  and  speaks 
to  the  prophets  through  whom  He   communicates 


EZEKIEL.  271 

His  will  as  if  Jewish  distinctions  were  gone,  and  God 
addresses  them  as  men,  only  men.  The  title  and  the 
testimony  are  exactly  adapted  to  each  other. 

5.  Visioti  of  the  idolatry  secretly  practised  at 
Jerusalem,  viii.  The  chapter  lets  us  into  the  real 
causes  for  the  overthrow  of  the  kingdom  of  Judah. 
In  the  subterranean  passages  beneath  the  temple 
area  were  fitted  up  chapels  decorated  after  the 
fashion  of  Egypt  with  likenesses  of  sacred  animals  to 
which  incense  was  offered.  They  had  also  a  wailing- 
place  where  women  wept  and  howled  over  the  loss 
of  the  Syrian  god  Tammuz.  Within  the  space  of 
the  sacred  temple  court  between  the  porch  and  the 
altar  there  was  a  band  of  high  dignitaries  who  turned 
their  backs  on  the  sanctuary  and  paid  their  devo- 
tions to  the  eastward,  to  the  sun  as  he  rose  over  the 
Mount  of  Olives.  Although  this  was  the  most 
ancient  form  of  idolatry  it  does  not  appear  in  Judah 
till  the  close  of  the  monarchy. 

We  learn  from  Ezekiel's  contemporary,  Jeremiah, 
that  the  queen  of  heaven  was  worshipped,  Astarte, 
(Jer.  vii),  and  likewise  the  brutal  Moloch  (Jer.  vii), 
a  Phoenician  idol.  Children  were  sacrificed  to  it ;  the 
fruit  of  the  body  was  given  for  the  sin  of  the  soul. 
The  idol  stood  in  the  valley  of  the  son  of  Hinnom, 
the  scene  of  the  unnatural  rites  was  Tophet.  Thence 
came  the  significant  and  dreadful  word, Gehenna,  hell. 

6.  Israel's  restoration.  In  common  with  the  other 
prophets  Ezekiel  announces  repeatedly  a  glorious 
future  for  his  people,  the  house  of  Israel — a  fu- 
ture but  partially  realized  in  the  return  from  the  exile 
of  Babylon.   (See  chaps,  xi, 17-20;  xvi;  xxxiv;  xxxvi)- 

As  if  these  predictions  were  not  enough  nor  ex- 
plicit enough,  another  more   remarkable  in  various 


272  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

ways  than  any  preceding  it  in  the  book  is  given;  it 
is  the  famous  thirty-seventh,  viz.,  the  vision  of  the 
Valley  of  Dry  Bones.  It  is  the  graveyard  of  the 
Jewish  nation  the  prophet  sees,  the  helpless,  dis- 
membered, denationalized  people,  whose  return  and 
restoration  to  the  favor  of  God  and  to  national  unity 
are  as  resurrection  from  the  dead.  It  is  common  to 
apply  this  vision  to  the  conversion  of  sinners,  but 
while  the  process  is  the  same  in  all  cases,  whether 
Jew  or  Gentile,  the  prime  application  is  to  Israel,  as 
vs.  II  clearly  shows,  "Son  of  man,  these  bones  are 
the  whole  house  of  Israel." 

7.  The  judgment  of  Gog,  xxxviii,  xxxix.  The 
revised  version  has  made  a  change  in  the  second 
verse  of  the  first  chapter  named  which  is  an  improve- 
ment. The  message  is  against  ''the  prince  of  Rosh, 
Meshech  and  Tubal,"  names  that  are  surprisingly 
akin  to  Rus,  Moskovy  and  Tobolsk.  It  is  a  northern 
power  that  is  meant,  one  north  of  Judea.  He  will 
invade  the  land  with  the  suddenness  and  impetuosity 
of  a  storm;  but  he  shall  be  destroyed  by  supernat- 
ural intervention.  If  Ezek.  xxxix,  17-20,  describes 
the  same  event  as  Rev.  xix,  17,  18,  then  Gog's  over- 
throw precedes  the  millennium.  If  John,  in  Rev. 
XX,  7-9,  treats  of  the  same  power  and  invasion  as 
Ezekiel,  and  the  description  seems  to  establish  the 
identity,  then  Ezekiel's  prediction  refers  to  the  very 
last  outbreak  of  sin  and  rebellion  in  the  history  of 
the  earth,  viz.,  that  which  takes  place  after  the  mil- 
lennium and  in  the  little  season  during  which  Satan 
is  loosed  from  the  pit.  Gog,  then,  is  the  end  of  all 
the  dealings  of  God  with  Israel  and  the  Gentile 
world,  the  last  transaction  before  the  setting  of  the 
great  white  throp^ 


EZEKIEL.  273 

8.  The  vision  of  the  city  and  temple,  xl-xlviii. 
This  is  the  last  vision  of  Ezekiel,  and  the  most  nota- 
ble of  all.  The  contents  of  these  chapters  may  be 
distributed  into  three  parts:  The  vision  of  the  tem- 
ple, xl-xliii;  the  vision  of  the  worship,  xliv-xlvi;  the 
vision  of  the  land,  xlvii,  xlviii.  It  should  be  re- 
membered, however,  that  the  vision  is  one,  and 
glides  easily  from  the  temple  to  its  worship,  and 
then  to  the  partition  of  the  land  among  the  restored 
tribes.  The  dimensions  of  Ezekiel's  temple  corres- 
pond with  Solomon's;  but  the  courts  are  enlarged 
considerably.  Its  services  are  very  different  from 
those  of  Mosaic  times.  The  city  of  the  vision  is 
enormously  enlarged.  The  circuit  of  Jerusalem  in 
the  time  of  Josephus  was  about  four  miles.  The  city 
of  Ezekiel  has  a  circuit  of  about  thirty-seven  miles. 
Ezekiel's  land,  likewise,  is  immensely  larger  than 
that  of  the  olden  time.  Wilkinson's  estimate  is  as 
follows:  From  north  to  south  it  extends  about  six 
hundred  miles,  and  the  average  breadth  about  five 
hundred;  which  would  give  some  three  hundred 
thousand  square  miles  for  the  whole  country.  Be- 
sides, the  location  of  the  tribes  is  very  different  from 
that  of  the  past.  If  any  measure  of  literality  at- 
taches to  this  wonderful  description  it  belongs  to  the 
future;  it  cannot  in  any  proper  sense  belong  to  the 
past.  Just  what  the  meaning  of  this  vision  is,  it  is 
by  no  means  easy  to  determine. 

(i)  It  is  not  a  pattern  for  the  second  temple 
(Grotius),  for  it  was  never  carried  out.  (2)  Nor 
was  it  designed  to  furnish  an  idea  of  the  magnifi- 
cence and  grandeur  with  which  the  second  temple 
should  be  built  (Hengstenberg);  the  whole  descrip- 
tion of  this  symbolic  structure  forbids  it.     In  short, 


274  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

Ezekiels  temple  and  the  services  connected  with  it 
cannot  be  identified  with  either  the  first  or  the  sec- 
ond temple;  it  stands  apart  from  Herod's  also.  (3) 
Note  the  changes  in  the  dimensions  of  the  sanctuary, 
the  court,  the  gates,  the  walls,  the  locality,  raised  as 
it  is  on  a  high  mountain.  (4)  There  are  subtractiojis ^ 
There  is  no  ark  of  the  covenant,  no  shew-bread,  no 
candlestick,  no  veil,  no  mercy-seat,  no  cherubim,  no 
tables  of  the  law,  no  holy  of  holies,  no  high  priest. 
The  priesthood  is  confined  to  the  sons  of  Zadock. 
The  Levites  have  passed  away  as  a  sacred  order.  Of 
the  three  great  festivals  Pentecost  is  omitted;  nor  is 
there  any  mention  of  the  day  of  atonement,  (5)  The 
additions,  too,  are  wonderful.  In  this  vision  there  is 
the  return  of  the  glory  from  the  East,  where  it  had 
gone  when  Judah  failed  and  went  into  captivity 
(xliii,  1-5),  to  dwell  in  the  temple  forever;  the  living 
waters  that  flow  from  beneath  the  altar  (xlvii,  1-5); 
the  trees  (xlvii,  7,  12);  the  new  distribution  of  the 
land  according  to  the  twelve  tribes,  and  the  prince, 
and  his  portion,  the  suburbs;  the  new  city  and  the 
immense  temple  area, — all  combine  to  point  to  a  fu- 
ture re-establishment  of  Israel  and  to  the  millennial 
glory.  This  whole  prophecy  is  a  symbolical  rep- 
resentation, a  typical  foreshadowing  of  the  bliss 
which  awaits  the  chosen  people  of  God  and  the  en- 
tire earth.  It  has  never  yet  had  its  appropriate  ful- 
fillment. To  spiritualize  it,  as  some  do,  exhausting 
all  its  splendors  and  hopes  in  the  Christian  dispensa- 
tion, is  to  mistake  its  meaning  and  dwarf  its  magnifi- 
cent proportions.  For  unmistakably  the  vision  has 
to  do  with  Israel  in  the  last  and  glorious  days  when 
all  God  hath  promised  for  that  people  shall  have  its 
accomplishment. 


DANIEL. 

The  book  of  Daniel  and  the  Revelation  of  John  are 
companion  prophecies,  and  must  be  studied  to- 
gether. They  treat  of  the  same  great  subjects,  and 
use  almost  exactly  the  same  symbols.  Both  deal  in 
dates,  both  have  what  we  may  call  a  sacred  arithme- 
tic, and  in  both  the  stupendous  scenes  and  events  of 
the  end  of  the  age  are  the  main  features.  Thanks  to 
the  patient  toil  and  prayerful  study  of  Daniel  much 
of  what  was  profound  mystery  to  the  fathers  is  now 
made  plain.  Our  task  is  simply  to  gather  up  the  re- 
sults and  set  them  forth  as  briefly  as  possible. 

I.  The  prophet  Daniel  was  of  noble  if  not  of  royal 
birth,  i,  3.    He  was  made  captive  at  the  first  invasion 
of   Judah  by  Nebuchadnezzar   in  the  third   year  of 
Jehoiakim's   reign,  i,   i.     The  entire   period   of   his 
exile,  which  ended  only  with  his  life,  was  spent  at 
Babylon    and    its    vicinity.     Under    the   reigns    of 
Nebuchadnezzar,   under  his   successors,  Evil-Mero- 
dach,  Neriglissar,  Laborosoarchad,  Nabonadius,  Bel- 
shazzar;  under  that  of  Darius  the  Mede  and  of  Cyrus 
down  to  his  third  year  (x,  1),  Daniel  lived.     He  saw 
the  mighty  works  inaugurated  by  the  great    Baby- 
lonian king  who  might  be  said  to   have  rebuilt  the 
city.     He   was  a  witness  of   the  overthrow    of   the 
Chaldean  Empire,  and  the  establishment  of  the  Per- 
sian  rule.     It   was   a  momentous    epoch   in   which 


27(5  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

Daniel  lived,  one  of  the  most  notable  in  the  annals 
of  the  world. 

2.  Fidelity  of  Daniel  and  his  fellow  exiles,  i,  3-20. 
Nebuchadnezzar  determined  to  extirpate  the  relig- 
ion and  patriotism  of  these  four  young  men,  first,  by 
changing  their  names  and  imposing  on  them  names 
which  connected  them  with  the  gods  of  Babylon; 
second,  by  compelling  them  to  live  as  the  heathen. 
But  heathenizing  their  names  did  not  heathenize 
their  hearts;  changing  their  names  did  not  change 
their  creed  or  their  character,  and  eat  unclean 
food  they  would  not  nor  did.  Had  Daniel  and  his 
companions  done  in  Babylon  as  the  Babylonians  did, 
they  would  soon  have  sunk  to  the  level  of  their 
heathen  captors.  But  they  knew  truth  has  no  lati- 
tude, and  loyalty  to  God  no  longitude.  Their  stead- 
fastness won  the  splendid  attestation  of  the  divine 
favor,  i,  15-20.  "The  secret  of  the  Lord  is  with  them 
that  fear  Him,  and  He  will  show  them  His  cove- 
nant," Ps.  XXV,  14. 

3.  Authenticity  of  the  book.  Daniel  has  been 
furiously  assailed.  The  attack  began  with  Porphyry, 
a  pagan,  born  in  Syria,  A.  D.  233.  And  it  rages  still. 
Only  the  briefest  outline  of  some  of  the  arguments 
in  support  of  its  genuineness  can  be  here  given. 

(i)  The  book  claims  to  have  been  written  by 
Daniel.  In  the  last  six  chapters  the  author  uses 
such  phrases  as,  "  I  saw  in  the  night  visions;"  **  I, 
Daniel,  alone  saw  the  vision;"  "  I,  Daniel,  understood 
by  books,"  etc.  These  chapters  are  inseparably 
bound  up  with  the  first  six.  The  pertinent  question 
is,  Are  these  statements  true?  He  would  be  reckless 
indeed  who  would  impeach  the  author's  veracity,  or 
charge  him  with  forgery. 


DANIEL.  277 

(2)  Josephus  affirms  that  Alexander  the  Great  was 
shown  the  prophecies  in  Daniel  concerning  himself 
by  the  high  priest  Jaddua,  and  the  conqueror  was  so 
delighted  that  he  offered  to  confer  any  favor  on  the 
Jews.  Alexander  antedated  Antiochus  more  than 
150  years. 

(3)  Daniel  and  his  three  companions  are  referred 
to  in  I  Mace,  ii,  49-60,  in  such  a  way  as  to  lead  us  to 
believe  the  book  was  extant  when  this  apocryphal 
writing  was  composed. 

(4)  Ezekiel  testifies  both  to  the  existence  and 
character  of  Daniel,  xiv,  14,  20.  In  xxviii,  3,  there 
is  a  manifest  allusion  to  Daniel's  wisdom  as  a  re- 
vealer  of  secrets,  '*  a  resolver  of  doubts."  It  seems 
clear  that  Ezekiel  knew  of  the  prophet's  interpreta- 
tion of  Nebuchadnezzar's  dream,  and  of  the  hand- 
writing on  the  wall  of  Belshazzar's  palace.  This 
witness  is  all  the  more  important  because  tlie  two 
prophets  were  cotemporaries,  and  no  one  doubts  the 
authenticity  of  Ezekiel's  book. 

(5)  Our  Lord  sets  His  seal  to  the  reality  of  Daniel's 
official  character  and  the  truth  of  his  predictions, 
Matt,  xxiv,  15.  Christ  teaches  that  this  prediction 
of  Daniel  still  remained  to  be  fulfilled  when  He 
uttered  the  memorable  Olivet  discourse,  i.  e.,  more 
than  a  century  and  a  half  after  the  time  of  Anti- 
ochus. 

(6)  The  records  of  ancient  Babylon  as  deciphered 
by  archeologists  harmonize  with  the  statements  of 
the  prophet.  In  many  minute  particulars  Daniel 
has  been  vindicated  by  modern  research.  The  words 
of  M.  Lenormant  deserve  serious  attention:  "The 
more  the  knowledge  of  the  cuneiform  texts  advances, 
the  more  is  felt  the  necessity  to  revise  (correct)  the 


278 


OUTLINE    STUDIES. 


too  hasty  condemnation  of  the  book  of   Daniel  by 
the  German  exegetical  school,"  (La  Magie,  p.  14). 

4.  Division  of  the  book.  We  may  separate  it  into 
two  parts:  Part  I.  Chaps,  i-vi.  This  section  con- 
tains the  following  topics  as  marked  by  the  chapters: 
Daniel  and  his  companions  in  exile,  i;  Nebuchad- 
nezzar's dream  and  its  interpretation,  ii;  the  fiery 
furnace,  iii;  Nebuchadnezzar's  second  dream,  iv; 
Belshazzar's  banquet  and  Babylon's  fall,  v;  Daniel  in 
the  lion's  den,  vi. 

Part  II.  Chaps,  vii-xii.  This  section  is  prediction 
throughout  and  contains  the  main  features  and 
phases  of  Gentile  rule,  and  its  final  overthrow  by 
the  Son  of  God,  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

A  more  suggestive  analysis,  due  mainly  to  Dr.  N. 
West,  is  the  following  : 

I.  Development  of  the  world-kingdoms. 

Chap,  i,  Introductory — Nebuchadnezzar  the  king, 
B.  C.  606. 

Chap,  ii,  The  image  dream;  Nebuchadnezzar's  sec- 
ond year,  B.  C.  604. 

Chap,  iii.  The  fiery  furnace;  Nebuchadnezzar's 
twentieth  year,  B.  C.  580  (about). 

Chap,  iv,  Nebuchadnezzar's  mania;  Nebuchadnez- 
zar's thirtieth  year,  B.  C.  570. 

Chap.  V,  Fall  of  Babylon,  B.  C.  538;  Belshazzar 
regent. 

Chap,  vi,  Lion's  den;  Darius  the  Mede,  B.  C.  538. 

Chap,  vii,  The  four  wild  beasts,  B.  C.  555;  Bel- 
shazzar regent. 

II.  Development  of  the  conflict  between  Israel 
and  the  world-power. 

Chap,  viii.  Vision  of  the  ram  and  he-goat,  B.  C. 
$53;  Belshazzar  regent. 


DANIEL.  279 

Chap,  ix,  The  seventy  weeks,  B.  C.  538;  Darius  the 
Mede. 

Chaps,  x-xii,  Final  vision — the  apocalypse;  B.  C. 
534,  Cyrus  king. 

Under  two  empires,  the  Chaldean  and  Medo-Per- 
sian,  Daniel's  prophecies  were  made.  They  may  be 
arranged  thus: 

I.  Under  Nebuchadnezzar. 

(a)  The  dream  of  the  metallic  image. 

(b)  The  idol  image  and  fiery  furnace. 

(c)  The  hewn  tree. 

II.  Under  Belshazzar. 

(a)  The  four  beasts. 

(b)  The  ram  and  goat. 

(c)  Belshazzar's  feast. 

III.  Under  Darius  the  Mede. 

(a)  The  lion's  den. 

(b)  The  seventy  weeks. 

IV.  Under  Cyrus.  The  great  apocalypse,  chaps, 
x-xii. 

5.  Daniel's  place  in  the  general  scheme  of  proph- 
ecy. It  is  a  very  remarkable  one.  The  book  differs 
from  the  other  prophetic  writings,  not  only  in  the 
design  and  objects  of  the  messages,  but  also  from 
the  view-point  of  the  messages  themselves.  The 
other  prophets  are  concerned  mainly  with  Israel. 
Other  nations  and  people  are  the  subjects  of  their 
predictions  incidentally,  as  they  come  into  contact- 
with  Israel;  for  the  chosen  people  were  still  recog- 
nized as  God's,  and  in  covenant  relationship  with 
Him.  As  long  as  the  house  of  Judah  remained 
measurably  faithful,  the  throne  was  secure,  and  Jeru- 
salem enjoyed  the  divine  protection.  Gentile  powers 
like   Egypt,    Assyria,   Babylon,   were   ambitious   to 


280 


OUTLINE    STUDIES. 


gain  the  sovereignty  of  the  world;  but  while  Judah 
was  owned  of  God,  they  were  held  in  like  fierce  ani- 
mals  by  an   unseen  leash.     Providence  would    not 
suffer  any  one  of  them  to   obtain  the  mastery  over 
the   others.     But  Judah  ere   long   followed   in  the 
footsteps  of  Samaria,  and  God  gave  the  throne  of 
David  and  the    holy    city   into   the    power  of    the 
Chaldean    king,    Nebuchadnezzar.     The    supremacy 
passed  into   his  hands:  ''The  God  of   heaven  hath 
given   thee   a  kingdom,  power,  and   strength,    and 
glory.  .  .  .  Thou  art  the  head   of  gold,"  Dan.  ii,  37, 
38.     The  remarkable  words  of  the  Savior,  so  full  of 
significance   and    so    pregnant    of    meaning,    ''  The 
times  of  the  Gentiles,"  (Luke  xxi,  24),  date  from  this 
gift  of  supremacy  to  king  Nebuchadnezzar.     Never 
since  has  Israel  been  a  free  and  independent  people. 
Subject  to  Babylon,  Persia,  Greece,  Rome,  they  are 
still  without  a  national  existence,  without  a  king,  an 
altar,  a  temple,  and  a  sacrifice.     Their   distinctive 
calling  is  in  abeyance,  their  relation  with  God  as  the 
chosen  people  is  suspended  while  "  the  times  of  the 
Gentiles  "  run  on.     It  was   in  connection  with  this 
new  order  of  things  that  Daniel  prophesied.     It  was 
at  the  inauguration  of  the  Gentile  times  he  saw  the 
visions  recorded  in  this  book.     And  it  is  this  o-reat 
fact  which  stamps  the  prophecies  with  the  peculiar 
features  here  exhibited. 

I.  Nebuchadnezzar's  dream  —  the  Colossus; 
chap.  ii. 

The  date  is  the  second  year  of  his  reign,  vs.  i, 
B.  C.  604.  The  occasion  of  it  was  the  king's  anxiety 
as  to  the  future  of  the  kingdom  which  he  had  been 
instrumental  in  founding,  vs.  29.  The  royal  mandate 
to  reproduce  and  interpret  the  dream  baffled  the 


DANIEL.  2^1 

sagacity  and  cunning  of  the  professional  fortune- 
tellers of  Babylon.  Daniel  with  the  sublime  confi- 
dence of  faith  in  the  living  God  offered  to  do  both, 
vs.  i6.  He  and  his  companions  held  a  prayer  meet- 
ing, and  sought  help  from  the  source  of  all  knowl- 
edge, the  revealer  of  all  secrets — God;  and  their 
prayer  was  heard,  their  faith  rewarded,  vs.  17-24. 

1.  The  dream,  vss.  31-35.  It  was  a  huge  image  or 
statue  the  king  saw.  Its  form  was  that  of  a  gigantic 
man,  resplendent  with  brightness,  imposing  in  atti- 
tude, and  terrible  in  appearance.  Unlike  any  other 
work  of  art  with  which  the  king  was  familiar  this 
clossal  man  was  composite.  It  was  made  up  of  five 
different  materials;  the  head  of  gold;  the  breast  and 
arms  of  silver;  the  belly  and  thighs  of  brass;  the  legs 
of  iron;  the  feet  and  toes  of  iron  and  clay.  As  the 
king  gazed  on  the  lofty  statue,  suddenly  and  without 
premonition  a  stone,  extra-human  and  superhuman 
in  its  origin,  struck  the  image  with  crushing  force  on 
its  feet,  and  crumpled  the  clay,  iron,  brass,  silver  and 
gold  into  powder  which  the  wind  carried  away.  If 
the  size  and  splendor  of  the  Colossus  were  impres- 
sive, how  much  more  must  have  been  its  destruction. 

2.  The  interpretation,  vss.  36-45.  It  is  certainly 
one  which  human  ingenuity  could  not  have  hit  upon. 
The  wise  men  and  flatterers  of  the  Chaldean  court 
never  would  have  ventured  to  announce  such  a  ter- 
mination to  Gentile  supremacy.  The  interpretation 
bears  on  its  face  the  proof  of  its  divine  authority. 
We  gather  the  explanation  mto  a  few  sentences. 

(i)  The  Colossus  symbolizes  the  World-kingdoms 
in  their  unity  and  historical  succession,  vss.  38-42. 
God  makes  known  to  Nebuchadnezzar  "what  shall 
come  to  pass"  hereafter,  vs.  29.     Gentile  dominion 


282  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

is  represented  as  a  huge  metallic  man.  Its  whole 
history,  from  its  rise,  through  its  progress  to  its  final 
demolition  and  disappearance  from  the  earth  forever, 
is  summed  up  in  this  prophetic  man.  *'  Here  we 
learn  that  every  man  contains  in  the  very  shape  of 
his  body,  a  histor}'  and  a  prophecy  of  the  fate  of  the 
whole  universe,  from  the  commencement  of  the 
Babylonian  captivity  to  the  remote  period  of  the 
future,"  (Deane). 

(2)  Four  great  empires,  and  only  four,  were  to 
succeed  each  other  in  the  government  of  the  world 
from  the  Chaldean  to  the  end.  The  first  was  the 
Babylonian  with  Nebuchadnezzar  at  its  head.  "  Thou 
art  this  head  of  gold,"  vs.  38.  The  grant  of  empire 
was  made  to  him,  vss.  37,  38;  Jer.  xvii,  5-7. 

The  breast  and  arms  of  silver  denote  the  Medo- 
Persian  Empire  which  overthrew  the  Chaldean, 
and  became  its  successor  in  the  government  of 
the  world.  The  brass  is  the  Greco-Macedonian, 
which  overturned  the  Persian;  and  the  iron  is 
the  Roman,  which  succeeded  the  Greek.  It  may 
be  asked,  How  do  you  know  that  the  various  metals 
of  the  colossus  symbolize  the  World-kingdoms  above 
mentioned? — By  the  prophet  Daniel  himself.  Dan. 
ii,  38,  proves  that  the  first  was  the  Chaldean;  chap, 
viii,  20,  tells  us  that  the  successor  of  that  empire 
was  the  Medo-Persian;  and  viii,  21,  declares  that 
"  Grecia  "  follows  Persia;  w^hile  ix,  26,  plainly  inti- 
mates that  Rome  is  the  fourth,  and  Rev.  xiii  puts 
this  beyond  a  doubt.  Besides,  the  words,  *'  king," 
"kings,"  "  kingdoms,"  are  used  to  designate  empire 
or  rule,  throughout  this  second  chapter  of  the  book. 

(3)  Deterioration  marks  the  course  of  Gentile 
rule,  vss.  39,  40.     There   is  decrease   in  the  value  of 


DANIEL.  28 


Q 


the  metals  composing  the  image.  Gold  is  better 
than  silver;  silver  than  brass;  brass  than  iron;  iron 
than  clay.  The  distance  between  gold  and  mud  is 
immense.  Moreover,  the  first  power  is  a  unit,  the 
second, dual;  the  third,  quadruple  (vii,  6;  viii,  8);  the 
fourth,  in  its  final  form,  decimal-ten  toes  in  the 
image,  vss.  41,  42;  ten  horns  in  the  beast,  vii,  7; 
Rev.  xiii. 

Thus  more  and  more  does  constitutional  unity  de- 
cline until  it  fades  out  into  democratic  license  and 
com.munistic  anarchy.  Iron  denotes  the  imperial, 
unyielding  element;  clay,  the  plastic  and  popular 
element.  The  two  cannot  blend.  Imperial  institu- 
tions and  popular  institutions  war  with  each  other. 
This  is  the  state  of  things  which  marks  the  last  stage 
in  the  history  of  the  world-kingdoms — the  strength 
of  iron  and  the  weakness  of  clay. 

(4)  The  destruction  of  the  image  was  accom- 
plished by  a  "  stone  cut  out  without  hands,"  vss.  34, 
44,  45.  Obviously  it  is  divine  power  that  is  meant. 
Man  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  appearing  or  fall  of 
the  stone.  From  first  to  last  it  is  supernatural 
agency.  Christ  is  the  stone,  Isa.  viii,  14;  Ps.  cxviii, 
22;  Acts  iv,  II,  etc.  He  and  His  kingdom  are  iden- 
tified in  the  prophecy. 

(5)  The  time  of  the  destruction  is  clearly  indi- 
cated. It  is  "  in  the  days  of  these  kings,"  vs.  44. 
What  kings? — ^Manifestly,  the  kings  who  belong  to 
the  world-power  in  its  last,  the  ten-kingdom  form — 
the  time  of  the  ten  toes  and  the  ten  horns.  The 
Stone  smites  the  image,  not  in  the  head  (Babylonian 
time),  nor  in  the  breast  and  arms  (Persian  period), 
nor  in  the  body  (Grecian  times),  nor  in  the  legs 
(Roman  times),  but  on  the  feet  and  toes,  vss.  34,  44, 


2S4:  orTLCTE  frmMiSv. 

45.  Not  when  Babylon  fell,  nor  Tsrhen  Persia  ttsl? 
oveitiirovn,  nor  Tzrhen  the  Greek  Empire  ireni  doum, 
nor  at  the  birth  of  Jesiis,  nor  at  Hi?  de^th,  Dor  Trhen 
the  Hoh"  Spirit  came  on  the  chTirch  on  the  day  of 
Pentecost,  nor  at  the  RefomiBiion,  was  the  colossus 
scattered  to  the  winds.  It  still  exists.  Moreover, 
the  Stone  does  not  nrst  £11  the  earth  and  crowd  the 
colossiis  out,  nor  does  it  diffuse  a  transforming  in- 
fluence over  it,  and  chang:e  it  into  a  devout  worship- 
per of  God.  No,  it  does  nothing  of  the  sort  It 
crushes  it  Demr'  ?  r-  -  -::  r  --  :-sion.  A  blind 
man  ought  to  see  l-..:   :-.w   .-.  .f  the  Stone  is 

judgment  not  giace:  it  i?  de^t:  -  .  .  .  not  salvation, 
that  is  here  prec. . : . .  The  times  of  the  Gentiles 
end  in  wrath  and  ruin,  and  there  s-rceeds  them  the 
e.-:  -"ment  of  the  %~isibie  kingdom  of  God  which 

sh:i„  r^e  as  wide  as  the  world  and  as  lasting  as  the 
eternal  years  of  God. 

II.  The  historical  c^    _.  ; . :  s,  iii-i-i.     These  chapters 
,are  intimately  connected  with  the  strictly  predictive 

portions  of  the  book.  They  are  intended  to  exhibit 
the  moral  character  of  the  World-powex.  And 
t"  •   the  World-powex  is  found  to  be   idol- 

a::-—-,  -.-:-wilIed,  ir:  "v--~-^t,  denant  of  authorir\\ 
and  blasphemous.  V  .  .r  it  be  Babylonian  or 
Persian,  Greek  or  Roman,  ancient  or  modem,  it  an- 
tagonires  Christ,  repudiates  His  authority-,  flings  His 
seT\-ants  into  the  fumsce  or  to  the  lions,  and  cor- 
rupts His  truth  whenever  it  touches  it  A  1 .  r- 
fully  searching  light  co  these  historical  chi_.  :.--  of 
Daniel  cast  on  the  spirit  and  temper  of  the  Gentile 
kingdoms, 

III.  The  vision  of  the  four  predaton-  beasts*  vii. 
The    dre-am   (H)  took  place  in  the  second  year  of 


DANIEL.  2S5 

Nebuchadnezzar,     The  vision  of  the  four  beasts  oc- 
curred in  the  first  year  of  Bclshazzar. 

(I )  Their  origin.  They  rose  out  of  "  the  i:frcat  sea;" 
the  Mediterranean,  as  the  phrase  invariably  signi- 
fies. This  is  the  territorial  scene  of  the  vision.  Out 
of  the  sea  torn  l^^  the  four  winds  of  heaven  they 
emerge,  i.  e..  out  of  the  commotions  and  revolutions 
of  the  nations  tlie  beasts  arise. 

{2^  The  beasts  are  identical  with  the  four  univer- 
sal kingdoms  of  the  colossal  image,  (chap.  ii\  vss. 
17.  23.  **  King"  and  "  kingdom  "  are  in  the  prophecy 
convertible  terms.  The  Babylonian,  Medo-Persian, 
Greco-Macedonian  and  Roman  kingdoms  are  here 
likewise  symbolized.  The  reason  why  the-^e  empires 
are  twice  represented  in  the  prophecy — once  by  the 
metals  of  the  colossus,  and  once  by  the  beasts— is 
found  in  the  difference  between  man's  view  of  the 
World-kingdoms  and  God's.  In  man's  view  they  are 
the  concentration  of  all  material  wealth,  majesty  and 
power.  In  God's  view  they  are  a  set  of  rapacious, 
wild  beasts  devouring  one  another  by  brute  force. 

(5)  The  fourth  beast  is  the  prominent  object  of 
the  vision.  That  it  is  Rome  that  is  meant  is  almost 
universally  conceded.  Because  of  the  place  of  bad 
pre-eminence  which  that  power  has  held,  and  is  yet 
again  to  hold,  in  the  affairs  of  the  world,  the  Spirit 
of  revelation  dwells  mainly  on  it,  vss.  7-26.  By 
Rome  the  Jews  have  been  persecuted  as  by  no  other 
power;  under  it  the  Son  of  God  was  crucified;  by  it 
in  its  pagan  state  uncounted  multitudes  of  Christians, 
and  more  under  its  papal  form,  were  put  to  death 
The  world  is  not  yet  done  with  it,  nor  is  God. 
But  it  is  with  its  final  form  this  prediction  has  to  do. 
The  Spirit  looks  rather  at  the  crisis  than  the  course 


286  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

of  its  history.  Here  this  fourth  beast  has  its  ten 
horns  which  correspond  to  the  ten  toes  of  the 
image.  In  Rev.  xiii  and  xvii  it  also  has  the  ten 
horns.  It  is  the  last  stage  in  its  existence  that  is 
meant. 

(4)  The  little  horn,  vss.  8,  20,  21,  24,  25.  It  is  an 
eleventh  horn.  It  is  to  spring  up  from  among  the 
ten.  A  comparison  of  Daniel's  fourth  beast  and  its 
little  horn  with  Paul's  man  of  sin  (2  Thess.  ii),  and 
John's  beast  with  seven  heads  and  ten  horns  (Rev. 
xiii)  proves  beyond  any  reasonable  doubt  that  they 
are  all  one  and  the  same  power,  the  last  enemy,  the 
antichrist. 

In  Dan.  ii  the  judgment  stone  falls  on  the  feet 
and  ten  toes  of  the  image.  In  vii  the  destruction 
of  the  fourth  beast  takes  place  when  ten  kings  are 
ruling  and  dominated  by  an  eleventh,  the  little  horn. 
In  Revelation  the  beast  is  seven-headed  and  ten- 
horned  when  the  Son  of  God  metes  out  to  him  his 
just  doom.  These  prophecies  co-ordinate  and  syn- 
chronize with  each  other,  and  they  all  deal  with  the 
scenes  at  the  end-time. 

These  things  being  so,  it  follows  that  the  world- 
power  remains  in  some  form  down  to  the  second 
com.ing  of  Christ.  This  is  the  clear  teaching  of 
Daniel,  Paul  and  John.  How  it  is  possible  to  inter- 
pose a  millennium  this  side  of  the  advent,  while 
Satan  is  loose  and  the  beast  has  things  much  his 
own  way,  seems  to  us  a  difficult  if  not  an  impossible 
feat. 

V.  Vision  of  the  ram  and  the  he-goat,  chap.  viii. 

These  symbols  arc  explained  for  us  in  the  chapter 
itself.  They  relate  to  the  second  and  third  empires. 
The   two-horned   ram    is    Medo-Persia,  vs.  20;   the 


DANIEL.  287 

rough  goat  is  Grecia,  vs.  21;  and  the  great  horn  be- 
tween his  eyes  is  the  Macedonian  conqueror,  Alex- 
ander the  Great.  Most  accurate  and  graphic  is  the 
description  of  the  swift  movements  of  the  goat,  and 
the  "  choler  "  with  which  he  assaulted  the  ram.  It  is 
in  exact  accord  with  the  historical  facts  in  the  case; 
for  Persia  had  invaded  Greece  and  aroused  the 
national  feeling  of  resentment  in  the  highest  degree; 
hence  the  **  choler  "  with  which  the  goat  rushed  upon 
the  ram.  In  three  battles  Alexander  made  himself 
master  of  the  world. 

At  his  death,  his  empire  was  parcelled  out  among 
his  four  generals,  and  so  "four  kingdoms  stood  up  " 
in  the  room  of  the  one  founded  by  Alexander.  Out 
of  one  of  these,  the  Syrian,  there  arose  a  "  little 
horn"  which  is  the   prominent  feature  in  the  vision. 

The  little  horn  of  the  eighth  chapter  is  not  to  be 
confounded  with  that  of  the  seventh.  The  two  are 
distinct.  That  is  the  last  antichrist,  the  one  who  is 
yet  to  arise.  Tliis  is  the  Syrian  antichrist,  Antiochus 
Epiphanes,  who  appeared  about  B.  C.  175,  and  who 
was  Israel's  worst  enemy,  who  harassed  and  slaugh- 
tered them  without  pity  in  his  insane  effort  to  impose 
the  Greek  civilization  and  heathen  religion  upon 
them;  who  profaned  the  temple  by  setting  up  in  it 
an  idol.  It  was  this  man  whom  the  Maccabees  so 
heroically  combatted.  At  the  same  time  it  should 
be  remembered  that  the  antichrist  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment is  also  the  type  of  the  antichrist  of  the  New 
Antiochus  will  have  his  awful  counterpart  in  the  mar 
of  sin,  the  beast,  who  will  be  Israel's  and  the  world's 
last  scourge. 

VI.  Vision  of  the  seventy  weeks,  ix.  The  prophet 
had  learned  from  Jeremiah  (xxv,   11,    12)  that  the 


288  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

captivity  of  Judah  was  to  continue  for  seventy  years, 
and  he  saw  that  the  time  had  come  when  the  restor- 
ation should  be  near  at  hand.  Accordingly,  he 
sought  by  prayer  and  supplication,  with  fasting  and 
humiliation  and  confession,  that  God  would  forgive 
and  restore  His  people.  He  received  for  answer  a 
further  and  fuller  revelation  respecting  Israel — one 
of  the  most  comprehensive  it  has  pleased  the  Spirit 
of  God  to  give  to  men — ix,  24-27.  The  angel  Gabriel 
tells  Daniel  that  seventy  weeks  are  determined  or 
measured  off  upon  his  people  and  holy  city,  within 
which  period  of  time  God  will  perform  His  whole 
work,  promised  and  predicted  throughout  all  Scrip- 
ture. 

1.  Within  the  compass  of  these  mysterious  weeks, 
six  mighty  events  are  to  take  place,  vs.  24:  viz.,  the 
termination  of  Israel's  apostasy,  arrest  of  their  sins, 
the  covering  over  of  their  iniquity,  the  in-bringing 
of  abiding  righteousness,  the  verification  of  what 
vision  and  prophet  have  predicted,  and  the  conse- 
cration anew  of  the  holy  of  holies.  Such  are  the  ma- 
jestic promises  that  are  to  be  fulfilled  for  Daniel's 
people  and  city,  Israel  and  Jerusalem,  within  these 
seventy  weeks.  To  such  an  end  and  outcome  they 
are  appointed  or  decreed. 

2.  Seventy  weeks.  The  word  week  is  retained  by 
nearly  all  the  writers  on  the  book  because  there  is 
no  English  word  which  exactly  expresses  the  idea 
of  the  original.  It  is  seventy  times  seven  years  that 
is  meant,  490  years  in  all.  It  is  not  days  that  is 
mentioned,  a  day  put  for  a  year,  but  seventy  weeks 
of  years. 

3.  The  seventy  weeks  are  divided  into  three 
groups,    vss.    25-27:    viz.,   seven    weeks;    sixty-two 


DANIEL.  289 

weeks;  one  week.  Certain  very  definite  events  are 
specified  as  transpiring  in  each  of  these  groups.  The 
rebuilding  of  Jerusalem  in  the  seven  weeks;  the  cut- 
ting off  of  Messiah  at  the  end  of  the  sixty-two  weeks 
and  the  appearing  and  doing  of  the  prince  of  the 
people  who  destroy  the  holy  city,  in  the  last  or  sev- 
entieth week. 

4.  From  what  "  commandment,"  or  edict,  are  these 
seventy  weeks  to  be  dated  and  counted?  If  we 
could  determine  the  exact  starting  point,  we  could 
know  precisely  when  they  will  run  out,  when  the 
great  prediction  of  these  verses  will  have  its  accom- 
plishment. Many  count  from  the  twentieth  year  of 
Artaxerxes,  when  that  monarch  issued  his  decree  to 
Nehemiah,  Neh.  ii,  i;  and  accordingly  find  that  the 
second  group  ©f  the  weeks,  viz.,  the  sixty-two  weeks, 
expired  with  the  death  of  Messiah,  Jesus  of  Nazar- 
eth. There  is  another  reckoning  by  Dr.  West  which 
is  worthy  of  the  most  serious  attention  on  the  part 
of  all  students  of  the  Bible.  Dr.  West  dates  the 
seventy  weeks  from  the  issuance  of  the  decree  by 
Cyrus,  Ezra  i,  B.  C.  536.  In  the  first  group  of 
seven  weeks  he  finds  an  interval  or  gap  of  fifty-seven 
years;  and  the  death  of  Messiah  takes  place  at  the 
close  of  the  sixty-second  in  the  series.  (See  his 
"  Thousand  Years  m  both  Testaments.") 

5.  At  the  close  of  the  sixty-ninth  week,  the  angel 
declares  that  Messiah  the  Prince  shall  be  cut  off, 
and  "  there  shall  be  nothing  to  Him."  He  announces 
also  that  the  people  of  the  prince  that  shall  come 
shall  destroy  the  city  and  the  sanctuary.  We  know 
who  the  people  were  who  fulfilled  this  prediction, 
the  Roman  people.  In  A.  D.  70  the  Roman  eagles 
swooped  down  on  the  devoted  city,  and  city  and 


290  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

temple  went  down  amid  the  most  frightful  scenes  of 
ruin  and  devastation.  The  prince  is  not  with  the 
people  when  they  demolish  city  and  temple;  he  is 
still  to  come  when  that  event  occurs. 

6.  This  prince  comes  in  connection  with  the  course 
of  the  last  or  seventieth  week,  the  last  seven  years 
of  the  whole  series,  vs.  27.  It  is  clear  as  day  that 
the  last  week  is  rent  off  from  the  other  sixty-nine, 
and  stands  by  itself.  There  is  a  mighty  break  be- 
tween the  sixty-ninth  and  the  seventieth  in  the 
series.  The  death  of  Christ  broke  the  chain  of  the 
weeks,  for  that  event  sundered  the  relation  then  ex- 
isting between  God  and  the  chosen  people.  Jesus 
Himself  plainly  indicates  the  rejection  of  the  peo- 
ple in  His  lamentation  over  Jerusalem,  Matt,  xxiii, 
37-39:  '*  Behold,  your  house  is  left  unto  you  deso- 
late. For  I  say  unto  you.  Ye  shall  not  see  me  hence- 
forth, till  ye  shall  say,  blessed  is  He  that  cometh  in 
the  name  of  the  Lord,"  (comp.  Luke  xix,  41-44). 
Nor  are  the  other  prophets  silent  as  to  the  interval 
which  should  elapse  between  the  death  of  Messiah 
and  the  end — His  second  coming.  Hosea  points  to 
it  when  he  says,  "For  the  children  of  Israel  shall 
abide  many  days  without  a  king,  and  without  a 
prince,  and  without  a  sacrifice,"  etc.,  Hos.  iii,  4. 
Micah  declares  they  shall  be  given  up  until  "  she 
,which  travaileth  shall  bring  forth,"  Micah  v,  3. 
Zechariah  adds  his  testimony  to  the  same  fact  of  an 
interval  between  the  rejection  of  Messiah  and  the 
final  restoration  of  Israel,  Zech.  xi,  7-14.  The  same 
great  fact  of  an  interval  between  Christ's  death  and 
the  rejection  of  the  people  for  a  long  period  of  time 
appears  in  the  parable  of  the  nobleman,  Lu.  xix,  and 
in  the  Olivet  prophecy,  Matt.  xxiv.     It  is  the  firm 


DANIEL.  291 

belief  of  the  present  writer  that  our  whole  Christian 
dispensation  lies  between  the  close  of  Daniel's  sixty- 
ninth  and  the  opening  of  his  seventieth  week — a 
gap  which  has  run  on  for  nearly  nineteen  hundred 
years. 

In  this  remarkable  prophecy,  there  are  two  peo- 
ples: Daniel's  people,  and  the  people  who  should 
destroy  the  city  and  sanctuary — the  Roman  people. 
There  are  two  princes:  Prince  Messiah,  who  was  to 
be  cut  off  and  have  nothing;  and  the  prince  of  the 
Roman  people,  the  last  antichrist,  who  is  still 
future. 

VII.  The  final  vision — Daniel's  apocalypse,  x-xii. 

These  three  chapters  contain  one  vision,  the  last 
divine  communications  Daniel  received,  of  which  we 
have  any  record.  At  the  time  he  must  have  been  an 
aged  man.  He  had  been  one  of  the  first  captives 
"  in  the  third  year  of  Jehoiakim;"  had  lived  through 
the  seventy  years  of  the  captivity,  and  this  was  now 
the  third  year  of  Cyrus.  And  yet  there  is  no  sign  of 
declining  power,  or  failing  faculties.  Indeed,  he  ap- 
pears rather  to  have  increased  in  strength,  for  he 
"understood"  this  vision,  x,  I,  a  statement  in 
marked  contrast  with  what  is  told  of  other  visions, 
vii,  28;  viii,  27. 

1.  Chapter  ten  reveals  the  influence  of  super- 
natural beings  in  the  affairs  of  earth.  The  heavenly 
messenger  informs  the  prophet  that  he  had  been 
dispatched  with  the  answer  to  his  petitions  on  the 
first  day  of  his  supplication,  but  that  he  had  been  de- 
layed by  the  prince  of  Persia  for  twenty-one  days, 
vss.  12,  13. 

2.  Prophetic  history  of  Persia,  xi,  1-2.  The  Spirit 
now  goes  back  and  connects  these  fresh  revelations 


292  OUTLINE   STUDIES. 

with  the  eighth  chapter  of  the  book.  He  takes  up 
the  power  symbolized  by  the  ram  and  adds  some  dis- 
tinctive features  to  what  is  there  given  us.  There 
was  to  be  a  succession  ot  four  kings  from  the  date 
of  the  vision.  These  were  Cambyses,  the  impostor 
Smerdis,  Darius  Hystaspes,  and  Xerxes. 

3.  Prophetic  history  of  the  third  empire,  xi,  3-20. 
The  ram  of  Persia  is  now  dropped,  and  the  he-goat 
of  Greece  is  taken  up.  The  "mighty  king"  who 
founds  the  third  empire,  Alexander  the  Great,  falls 
in  the  prime  of  life  and  in  the  plenitude  of  his  con- 
quests, and  out  of  his  kingdom  four  others  are 
evolved.  It  is  remarkable  that  the  prophecy  asserts 
that  no  one  of  Alexander's  family  should  succeed 
him.  Power  passes  from  his  family  altogether,  vs.  4. 
Then  one  of  the  four  is  dwelt  upon  at  length — the 
Syrian  kingdom — and  its  history  is  traced,  in  con- 
nection with  Egypt,  and  their  doings,  with  respect 
to  the  land  of  Israel.  For  as  Judah  lay  right  between 
the  two  rival  powers,  they  made  it  their  battle-field, 
and  conquered  it  from  each  other  repeatedly.  They 
formed  alliances  with  one  another,  inter-married, but 
it  only  proved  the  prelude  to  fiercer  animosities,  and 
more  savage  outbreaks;  brothers,  sons,  and  grand- 
sons espoused  the  quarrels  of  their  kindred.  Such 
was  the  history  of  the  rival  kingdoms  of  Syria  and 
Egypt;  such  has  the  Spirit  of  God  depicted  it  in 
these  verses,  5-20. 

4.  Prophetic  history  of  Israel's  enemy  in  Macca- 
bean  times,  xi,  21-35.  He  is  introduced  as  *' a  vile 
person."  His  character,  animus  and  actions  are 
fully  described;  much  more  so  than  any  other  of  the 
various  monarchs  mentioned  in  the  first  part  of  the 
chapter.    The  reason  is  that  this  man  was  the  worst 


DA.KIEL. 


293 


foe  Israel  had  ever  yet  had,  and  he  is  also  the  truest 
type  of  the  last  ferocious  foe  who  shall  oppress  them, 
the  antichrist.  For  it  is  believed  that  the  man 
painted  in  such  lurid  colors  in  these  verses  was  An- 
tiochus  Epiphanes,  who  began  his  bloody  and  sacri- 
legious career  about  B.  C.  175—3'  ^^^  ^v^°'  because 
thwarted  in  his  designs  upon  Greece  by  the  Romans, 
and  defeated  in  all  his  efforts  to  extend  his  kingdom 
into  Europe  and  Africa  by  the  same  power,  turned 
in  his  rage  on  prostrate  Judah  and  wreaked  his 
vengeance  on  its  suffering  population. 

This  is  the  man  who  set  up  the  "abomination  that 
maketh   desolate,"  vs.  31.     The   allusion  is   to  the 
idol  which  he  erected  in  the   temple.     It  was  not 
from  this  verse  our  Lord  quoted  the  expression  in 
Matt,  xxiv,  15;  but  from  Dan.  xii,  11.     That  of  xi, 
31,  had  already  taken  place  when  Jesus  quoted  the 
saying;  but  Dan.  xii,  1 1,  is  yet  unfulfilled.     The  ac- 
count of  Antiochus  extends  to  verse  thirty-five  which 
verse  prepares  the  way  for  a  change  of  subject  and 
of  time  in  the  prediction.     It  projects  our  thoughts 
forward ''to  the  time  appointed,"  to  ''the  time  of 
the  end,"  and  to  the  enemy  who  shall  then  appear. 
5.  Prophetic  history  of  the  last  foe  of  God's  peo- 
ple, the  antichrist,  xi,  36-45-     He  is  abruptly  intro- 
duced as  "  the  king  "  in  vs.  36.     The  prediction  con- 
cerning  Antiochus   glides   suddenly   but   naturally 
into  that  of  his  antitype  who  shall  appear  in  the  end, 
and  be  destroyed  by  the  manifestation  of  the  Son  of 
God  from  heaven.     By  way  of  pre-eminence  he  is 
called  "  the   king."     In   Isa.    xxx,    33,  we   read    of 
tophet    prepared    for  "the    king;"  nor   can   it     be 
doubted   but   that  the   same  person   is   there    ulti- 
mately referred  to,  as  the  connection  evidently  im- 


294  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

plies.  The  description  of  "the  king"  in  Daniel  is 
strikingly  analogous  with  v^hat  is  told  us  of  the  little 
horn  (vii,  20-25);  with  that  of  the  man  of  sin  (2 
Thess.  ii,  1-7);  with  that  of  the  beast  (Rev.  xiii). 
Concerning  him  some  things  may  be  noted. 

(i)  He  is  still  future.  No  one  can  read  and  study 
the  prophecies  relating  to  him  without  having  this 
conviction  forced  upon  him. 

(2)  He  is  a  real  person.  It  is  not  a  system  of  evil 
nor  an  organized  body  under  the  delusion  and  lead- 
ership of  the  devil,  like  Mohammedanism  or  popery 
that  is  meant.  It  is  freely  admitted  that  Romanism 
bears  an  amazing  likeness  to  "  the  king,"  and  to  the 
man  of  sin,  in  its  origin,  history,  animus,  idolatry, 
corruption  of  the  truth,  persecutions  and  blasphe- 
mies. All  that  popery  is  and  far  more.  But  bad  as 
it  is  as  an  apostate  church,  still  it  has  not  yet  reached 
the  fearful  height  and  towering  eminence  of  wick- 
edness which  the  Bible  attributes  to  the  antichrist. 
Something  worse  than  anything  yet  seen  is  coming, 
viz.,  the  man  of  sin,  the  king. 

(3)  His  appearance  is  at  the  "  end,"  the  day  of  the 
Lord,  Dan.  ii,  44;  vii,  13,  22,  26;  ix,  26,  27;  2  Thess. 
ii,  I,  2;  Rev.  xix,  11-21. 

(4)  He  will  be  the  chief  adversary  and  enemy  of 
Daniel's  people,  the  Jews,  vii,  21,  25;  xii,  i;  Matt, 
xxiv. 

(5)  He  will  invent  a  new  object  of  worship  and 
compel  all  to  do  it  homage  on  pain  of  death,  xi,  38; 
Rev.  xiii,  14,  ic;. 

(6)  He  will  perform  miracles  of  some  sort,  2, 
Thess.  ii,  9,  10;  Rev.  xiii,  13. 

(7)  He  will  exalt  himself  above  all,  xi,  36;  2 
Thess.  ii,  4. 


DANIEL.  295 

(8)  He  will  be  the  antagonist  of  Christ,  Rev.  xiii, 
6;  xix,  19. 

(9)  He  will  be  destroyed  by  the  personal  appear- 
ing of  the  Son  of  God  from  heaven,  Dan.  vii,  13;  2 
Thess.  ii,  8;  Rev.  xix,  11-21. 

Thus  these  three  men,  Daniel,  Paul,  and  John, 
prophesy  of  the  mighty  scenes  and  events  of  the 
time  of  the  end,  the  day  of  the  Lord.  They 
solemnly  assure  us  that,  far  from  the  Church  *'  con- 
verting the  world  "  evil  will  prevail  to  the  end,  wick- 
edness intensify,  culminating  at  length  in  the  apos- 
tasy and  revelation  of  the  man  of  sin — the  anti-christ. 
They  jointly  and  severally  declare  that  the  great  ad- 
versary will  be  destroyed  by  the  coming  of  Jesus 
Christ  Himself.  Our  Lord's  own  testimony  is  iden- 
tical with  theirs.  Matt,  xxiv,  xxv;  Mark  xiii;  Lu.  xxi. 

6.  Three  events  of  the  end-time,  Dan.  xii,  i,  2. 
The  first  of  these  is,  a  time  of  unparalleled  trouble, 
vs.  I.  Our  Lord  in  His  Olivet  prophecy  speaks  of 
the  same  unequaled  tribulation.  Matt,  xxiv,  21; 
Mark  xiii,  19.  It  is  the  great  tribulation.  The  sec- 
ond event  is,  deliverance  for  an  elect  remnant  of  the 
Jews  from  the  tribulation,  vs.  I.  Jeremiah  refers  to 
the  same  deliverance,  xxx,  7:  **  It  is  even  the  time 
of  Jacob's  trouble;  but  he  shall  be  saved  out  of  it." 
(Comp.  Zech.  xiii,  8,  9.)  The  third  event  of  the  last 
time  is,  the  resurrection  of  the  righteous,  vs.  2: 
"  And  many  of  them  that  sleep  in  the  dust  of  the 
earth  shall  wake,  some  to  everlasting  life,  and  some 
to  shame  and  everlasting  contempt."  This  can  only 
be  an  eclectic  resurrection.  Many  does  not  mean 
all.  Besides,  the  real  force  of  the  words  is,  "  and 
many  from  among  the  dead  shall  awake,"  (so  Tre- 
gelles,  West,  etc.).     It  is  in  exact  accord  with  Rev. 


296  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

XX,  4,  5,  where  the  first  and  second  resurrection  are 
mentioned. 

7.  Dates  in  Dan.  xii.  Three  particularly  are  men- 
tioned. In  verse  seven  the  revealer  solemnly  swears 
with  uplifted  hands  that  the  mighty  events  at  the 
end-time  shall  be  accomplished  in  a  **  time,  times, 
and  an  half  " — 3%  years,  or  1,260  days.  It  is  the 
same  number  that  occurs  so  often  in  Daniel  and 
Revelation.  It  is  the  period  of  the  tribulation, when 
wickedness  and  sin  and  crime  will  culminate,  the 
antichrist  having  everything  his  own  way.  It  is  the 
last  half  of  the  last  week  of  Dan.  ix,  27,  at  the  close 
of  which  the  apocalypse  of  Christ  will  take  place 
whereby  the  enemy  will  be  forever  overthrown. 
After  that,  thirty  days  more  pass,  and  the  sanctuary 
is  cleansed,  and  all  things  made  ready  for  the  mil- 
lennial glory;  forty-five  days  more  pass,  and  full 
blessing  is  enjoyed,  Dan.  xii,  11,  12. 

A  precious  word  is  addressed  the  prophet  for  his 
comfort:  "  But  go  thy  way  till  the  end  be,  for  thou 
shalt  rest,  and  stand  in  thy  lot  at  the  end  of  the 
days  " — a  promise  that  might  well  have  sent  him 
singing  to  the  grave.  '*  Thou  shalt  rest."  Toil  and 
trouble  have  been  thine;  grief  and  disappointment, 
as  well  as  splendid  victories,  glorious  deliv<"rances; 
much  indeed  has  been  mingled  in  thy  cup,  and  thou 
hast  drunk  it  all  without  a  murmur  or  a  sigh;  thou 
hast  been  true  and  loyal;  and  now  all  is  over;  the 
long,  strange  journey  is  finished,  Never  more  shall 
king  or  emperor  honor  or  degrade  thee;  no  more 
shalt  thou  be  the  target  for  the  cruel  shafts  of  jeal- 
ous courtiers.  Go,  and  rest,  and  wait;  for  resurrec- 
tion is  coming,  and  thou  shalt  shine  above  the 
splendor  of  the  firmament's  gleam. 


THE  MINOR  PROPHETS. 

The  arrangement  of  the  twelve  minor  prophets  ii 
in  a  sense  chronological;  that  is,  the  earlier  are  put 
at  the  beginning,  the  later  at  the  end  of  the  collec- 
tion. The  order  of  time,  however,  is  not  observed 
with  strict  exactness;  for  Joel  and  Jonah  are  prob- 
ably the  oldest  of  the  twelve.  By  whom  the  collec- 
tion was  made  is  somewhat  difficult  to  determine, 
though  the  constant  tradition  that  Ezra  particularly, 
and  probably  also  Nehemiah  and  Malachi,  had  very 
much  to  do  in  forming  the  canon,  has  never  been  suc- 
cessfully contradicted. 

The  great  theme  of  these  prophets  is  Israel 
primarily,  then  the  nations  that  were  either  the  foes 
of  Israel,  or  were  used  of  God  for  the  punishment  of 
His  disobedient  people.  Nowhere  do  we  find  sin 
rebuked  with  more  awful  severity,  the  true  meaning 
of  the  law  more  clearly  expounded^  or  the  future 
glory  of  Zion  more  confidently  predicted.  Israel's 
relation  to  God,  the  binding  force  of  the  Mosaic 
legislation,  and  the  apostasy  of  the  people  from  the 
Lord  and  their  transgression  of  the  law  given  at 
Sinai — these  and  the  like  fundamental  truths  afford 
the  ground  for  the  indictment  against  the  chosen 
people,  as  also  the  ground  of  the  appeals  to  them  to 
repent  and  return  to  God.  But  while  they  denounced 
sin  and  announced  judgment,  they  foretold  the  glory 
,  of  the    latter   days,  the   re-gathering  of    scattered 


298  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

Israel,  the  re-erection  of  David's  fallen  tabernacle, 
the  coming  of  Messiah  the  second  time,  and  the 
blessedness  of  the  millennial  age.  Wrath  is  not  the 
main  topic  of  the  minor  prophets  any  more  than  it  is 
of  the  major.  God's  love  and  pity,  His  yearning 
over  the  wayward  people,  His  desire  so  often  ex- 
pressed to  comfort  and  bless  them,  are  prominent 
features  of  these  books,  as  of  the  whole  Bible.  It  is 
impossible  to  read  it  with  any  attention  without  per- 
ceiving this  central  truth. 

It  was  a  special  function  of  the  minor  prophets  to 
minister  to  the  faith  and  hope  of  the  few  loyal  souls 
Vv^ho  still  clung  to  the  truth  of  God,  and  who  wor- 
shipped Him  in  sincerity.  The  faithful  remnant  is 
found  in  these  books  as  likewise  in  the  greater 
prophets.  God  never  forgets  those  who  are  true  to 
Him.  He  always  has  some  special  word,  some  sweet 
and  tender  promise  and  message  of  comfort  for 
them.  Hence  we  find  in  these  prophecies  the  pres- 
ence of  the  remnant  and  communications  addressed 
particularly  to  them. 

These  twelve  books  may  be  classified  into  four 
groups,  with  three  in  each  group. 

1.  Hosea,  Amos,  and  Micah,  who  speak  of  the  fall 
of  Israel  (Samaria), and  of  the  overthrow  that  already 
threatened  Judah.  They  pronounce  judgment  on 
the  people,  while  unfolding  with  more  or  less  fulness 
the  dealings  of  God  in  grace  at  the  end.  With  the 
exception  of  Amos,  who  prophesied  in  the  early 
reign  of  Uzziah,  they  belong  to  the  times  of  Uzziah, 
Jotham,  Ahaz,  and  Hezekiah. 

2.  Obadiah,  Jonah,  and  Nahum,  who  prophesy 
against  certain  Gentile  nations;  mainly  Edom  and 
Nineveh. 


THE    MINOR    PROPHETS. 


299 


3.  Haggai,  Zechariah,  and  Malachi,  who  were 
post-captivity  prophets,  the  first  two  dealing  with 
the  restored  exiles,  and  the  last  bearing  witness  to 
the  failure  of  the  people  and  the  coming  of  Messiah 
and  His  forerunner. 

4.  Joel,  Habakkuk,  and  Zephaniah,  who  have  a 
peculiar  character  such  as  marks  them  off  from  the 
rest.  They  chiefly  speak  of  the  end,  the  closing 
scenes,  the  great  crisis  toward  which  the  world  is 
fast  hastening.  They  are  telesmatic,  i.  e.,  they  deal 
with  the  last  days,  the  great  day  of  the  Lord. 


HOSEA. 

The  prophet  Hosea  was  contemporary  with  Isaiah 
i,  I.  Under  the  reigns  of  the  same  kings  of  Judah 
he  exercised  his  ministry  as  did  Isaiah.  At  the  time 
Jeroboam  was  king  of  Israel.  Of  course  this  was 
Jeroboam  II.,  one  of  the  most  powerful  monarchs 
that  ruled  over  the  ten  tribes.  In  opening  this  first 
book  of  the  minor  prophets  we  must  retrace  our 
steps  in  Israel's  history,  and  keep  in  mind  that  he 
antedates  Jeremiah,  Ezekiel  and  Daniel  at  least  one 
hundred  and  fifty  years. 

Hosea  gives  us  a  vivid  picture  of  the  times  in 
which  he  lived,  and  of  the  political  and  moral  state 
of  the  people.  His  style  is  very  concise,  terse  and 
abrupt,  abounding  in  figures  and  metaphors  that 
sometimes  are  mtermingled.  The  transitions  from 
one  topic  to  another  are  frequent  and  sudden.  In 
consequence  the  book  is  a  difficult  one  to  interpret, 
but  patient  study,  relying  on  the  guidance  of  the 
Spirit  of  God  who  alone  is  the  competent  interpreter 
of  the  Scriptures,  will  open  rich  mines  of  truth.  One 
says  he  "  exhibits  the  appearance  of  very  remote 
antiquity."  Another  compares  him  to  a  bee  flying 
from  flower  to  flower,  swift  and  restless,  but  always 
gathering  and  always  laden.  The  title,  i,  i,  indi- 
cates the  time  of  his  prophecy,  and  is  at  the  same 
time  the  authentication  of  the  book.  The  second 
verse  of  the  first  chapter  is  somewhat  peculiar  both 


HOSEA.  301 

for  its  language  and  its  aim.  Mr.  Deane  translates 
it,  "  The  beginning  (of  that  which)  Jehovah  spoke 
by  Hosea."  The  revision  has,  "  When  the  Lord 
spake  at  the  first  by  Hosea."  But  what  is  the  be- 
ginning here  mentioned?  It  cannot  mean  that 
Hosea  was  the  first  of  the  prophets  by  whom  God 
made  known  His  will  to  Israel,  or  the  first  of  the 
minor  prophets,  for  both  Jonah  and  Joel,  it  is  be- 
lieved, preceded  him.  The  meaning  seems  to  be, 
the  beginning  of  the  prophecies  which  Hosea  was 
commissioned  to  make  known.  The  first  verse  is 
the  heading  for  the  whole  book,  and  its  authentica- 
tion; the  second  verse  is  the  special  heading  of  the 
first  section  of  the  book  which  extends  to  the  end  of 
the  third  chapter.  "  By  Hosea "  is  literally  "  in 
Hosea."  It  is  identical  with  Heb.  i,  i,  where  the 
revision  has  "  in  the  prophets." 

The  book  may  be  divided  into  two  parts.  Part  I, 
chaps,  i-iii.  God's  judgment  as  to  the  state  of  the 
people,  with  intimations  of  repudiation  and  restora- 
tion. Part  II,  chaps,  iv-xiv,  in  which  Israel's  sins 
are  described,  warnings  and  threatenings  are  an- 
nounced, expostulations  and  appeals  are  made,  and 
promises  of  final  recovery.  Topically,  the  book  may 
be  summarized  thus:  i.  The  relation  which  God 
formed  between  Plimself  and  Israel  originally;  it  was 
like  that  of  marriage.  2.  Israel's  unfaithfulness  in 
this  relation.  3.  Divorcement  of  the  people  from 
the  Lord  announced.  4.  The  people's  guilt.  5. 
Punishment  certain,  captivity  predicted.  6.  Re- 
monstrances with  the  guilty  people,  and  entreaties 
to  repent  and  reform.  7.  Promise  of  a  final  and 
genuine  repentance  and  restoration. 

It  15;  hardly  needful   to    remind  the  reader  that 


302  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

Hosea  addressed  particularly  the  kingdom  of  Israel. 
He  designates  them  in  various  ways,  as  Israel, 
Ephraim,  Samaria,  Jacob.  Ephraim  is  specified  be- 
cause the  largest  of  the  ten  tribes  that  separated  from 
the  house  of  David,  and  because  it  was  the  leader  in 
rebellion  and  apostasy.  The  first  king  of  the  North- 
ern Kingdom  was  Jeroboam,  an  Ephrathite,  who  or- 
ganized apostasy,  for  he  established  for  political 
reasons  idolatrous  sanctuaries  at  Dan  and  Bethel. 
It  was  one  chief  aim  of  the  ministry  of  Hosea  to  re- 
cover Israel  from  idolatry  and  to  restore  them  to 
obedience  to  God.  To  effect  this  end,  he  painted 
with  no  feeble  or  faltering  hand  the  horrors  of  their 
sin,  proclaimed  the  judgments  of  God  against  them, 
and  appealed  to  them  with  the  most  passionate  en- 
treaties to  repent.  To  what  extent  his  ministry  was 
successful  we  have  no  means  of  knowing.  Some,  no 
doubt,  heard  and  heeded  the  warning  voice;  but  on 
the  nation  as  such  no  permanent  impression  was 
made.  In  God's  economies,  however,  no  waste  is 
permitted.  What  appears  often  to  us  to  be  failure, 
what  may  have  seemed  to  Hosea  to  be  such,  was 
with  God  success,  for  the  prophet  accomplished  pre- 
cisely what  it  was  intended  he  should. 

Some  details  of  the  book  may  be  pointed  out. 

I.  Hosea's  marriage  with  Gomer,  i,  3.  Was  it  real, 
or  only  symbolic?  This  is  the  "vexed  question"  of 
the  book.  The  ancient  writers  held  quite  generally 
that  no  literal  union  with  her  was  formed  by  the 
prophet.  Augustine's  rule  for  such  passages  of  the 
Bible  as  this  is  wise:  If  the  language  of  Scripture 
taken  literally  would  involve  something  incongruous 
or  morally  wrong,  the  figurative  sense  must  be  pre- 
terred. 


HOSBA.  303 


There  is  something  so  unnatural  and  i'evoVd:ig  in 
the  thought  that  a  prophet  of  God  should  be  divine- 
ly ordered  to  marry  an  impure  woman,  and  the 
whole  transaction  is  so  dishonoring  to  God,  that  it 
is  not  surprising  that  men  should  seek  to  relieve  the 
record  of  all  literality,  and  should  interpret  it  as  a 
vision.  Yet  the  language  is  so  explicit,  the  names 
of  the  parties  being  given,  with  the  absence  of  any 
intimation  of  its  being  an  allegory  or  a  parable,  that 
we  seem  to  be  shut  up  to  the  belief  that  some  sort 
of  transaction  really  took  place  whereby  Hosea  and 
Gomer  were  brought  together  as  husband  and  wife. 
Pusey's  words  are  worthy  of  serious  consideration: 
"  There  is  no  ground  to  justify  our  taking  as  a  para° 
ble  what  holy  Scripture  relates  as  a  fact.  There  is 
no  instance  in  which  it  can  be  shown  that  holy  Script- 
ure relates  that  a  thing  was  done,  and  that  with  the 
names  of  persons,  and  yet  that  God  did  not  intend 
it  to  be  taken  as  literally  true.  There  would  then 
be  left  no  test  of  what  was  real,  what  imaginary;  and 
the  histories  of  holy  Scripture  would  be  left  to  be  a 
prey  to  individual  caprice,  to  be  explained  away  as 
parables  when  men  misliked  them." 

The  view  which  commends  itself  to  us  is  this: 
Hosea  really  married  Gomer.  Her  loose  character 
is  given  her  in  the  chapter  by  anticipation;  she  was 
not  a  fallen  woman  (or  at  least  was  conducting  her- 
self properly)  when  the  prophet  took  her  to  wife, 
although  God  foresaw  and  announced  what  she 
would  do  after  her  marriage.  Had  she  been  a  harlot 
at  the  time  of  her  union  with  Hosea  she  would  not 
have  served  as  a  type  or  symbol  of  Israel  at  all.  It 
was  only  as  a  wife  who  proved  unfaithful  to  her 
marriage  covenant  that  she  becam.e  the  Jiving  ex- 
ample of  Israel's  infidelity  and  apostasy  fr?m  God. 


304  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

To  them  were  born  three  children  and  names  were 
given  them  significant  of  the  fate  of  the  people. 
Afterward,  Gomer  like  Israel  became  unfaithful  and 
left  the  prophet's  home,  and  became  the  paramour 
of  another  man.  She  seems  to  have  sunk  so  low 
into  vice  and  degradation  that  her  position  was  that 
of  a  slave,  for  the  prophet  bought  her  back  at  one- 
half  of  the  price  of  a  female  slave  in  money,  and  a 
portion  of  barley,  iii.  That  the  woman  spoken  of  in 
chapter  three  is  to  be  identified  with  Gomer  appears 
from  the  following  considerations:  (i)  The  analogy 
requires  it.  It  was  Israel  that  stood  in  the  relation 
of  wife  to  Jehovah;  no  other  nation  was  admitted  to 
such  relation.  (2)  The  woman  is  the  one  already 
married,  but  unfaithful,  which  was  precisely  the  case 
with  Israel.  (3)  If  she  had  not  been  the  prophet's 
wife,  and  had  gone  away  from  him,  there  would  be 
no  point  in  comparing  his  love  for  her  with  that  of 
the  Lord  for  His  erring  people.  (4)  A  command  to 
love  another  man's  wife  to  whom  he  was  still  at- 
tached would  be  repugnant  to  every  idea  of  justice 
and  propriety.  Either  the  woman  of  chapter  three 
was  Gomer,  or  the  whole  scene  is  a  vision.  The 
word  is,  not  "take,"  but  "love,"  i.  e.,  renew  thy 
kindness  to  her,  and  receive  her  back  into  thy  house 
(so  Henderson).  But  she  was  to  live  apart  from  her 
husband  (and  he  from  her)  for  many  days,  iii,  3;  so 
Israel  was  to  remain  for  many  days  a  spoiled  and 
subject  people.  The  prophetic  action  in  this  singu- 
lar case  indicated  in  a  striking  way  the  apostasy  of 
the  ten  tribes,  God's  repudiation  of  them,  their  cap- 
tivity and  final  recovery. 

2.  Israel's  state  morally  in  Hosea's  time.  It  was  as 
bad  as  it  could  well  be.     The  idolatry  inaugurated 


HOSEA.  305 

by  Jeroboam  had  now  continued  for  more  than  150 
years,  and  had  diffused  every  form  of  vice  among 
the  people.  Chap,  iv,  2,  gives  a  summary  of  the 
crimes  that  filled  the  land;  swearing,  lying,  murder, 
theft,  adultery — an  awful  brood.  The  king  and 
princes  were  drunken  profligates,  vii,  3-7.  The  idol- 
atrous priests  spread  their  shameful  festivals  and 
deceitful  oracles  over  all  the  land,  iv,  12-14;  x,  xii, 
xiii,  2;  they  even  waylaid  and  murdered  those  who 
were  passing  on  their  way  to  Jerusalem,  vi,  9.  The 
people  were  ignorant,  debased,  dishonest  and  incor- 
rigible, iv,  6,  10,  12-14,  17;  xi,  7;  xii,  7.  The  nation 
had  forsaken  the  Lord  and  relied  on  human  help. 
Sometimes  it  was  Assyria,  sometimes  Egypt,  they 
turned  to,  never  really  to  God,  v,  13;  vii,  8-12;  viii.g, 
10.  A  listless  security  blinded  their  minds,  v,  4;  xii, 
8.  Spasmodic  repentance  in  a  moment  of  danger 
was  professed,  vi,  4;  vii,  16.  The  root  of  all  the  evil 
was,  they  had  broken  covenant  with  God,  and  He 
and  His  word  were  ignored  and  forgotten,  vi,  7;  iv, 
1-6;  viii,  12.  It  is  a  frightful  indictment  which  God 
by  the  mouth  of  His  servant  Hosea  brings  against 
Ephraim. 

3.  God's  compassion  toward  His  unfaithful  peo- 
ple. It  is  very  remarkable;  it  is  like  Him.  We  see 
it  in  the  strange  narrative  of  Gomer;  in  the  names 
Lo-ruhamah,  unpitied,  and  Lo-ammi,  not  my  people, 
changed  into  Ruhamah,  pitied,  and  Ammi,  my  peo- 
ple, ii,  I.  We  see  it  in  the  touching  expostulations 
and  tender  appeals  as  in  xi,  8;  xiv,  1-5.  Nothing 
can  exceed  the  earnestness  and  love  with  which  the 
Lord  entreats  Ephraim  to  return  to  Him.  Look  at 
xi,  8,  and  see  how  Mercy  interposes  her  four  "  hows," 
as  if  the  great  and   good  God   could  not   possibly 


806  OrTLINE   STUDIES. 

give  them  up.  Many  an  eye  has  filled  at  the  name- 
less advertisement  which  sometimes  appears  in  the 
public  press:  "  Come  home  and  all  will  be  forgiven: 
we  wait  for  you."  But  God  names  Ephraim  and 
Himself,  and  writes  it  down  in  His  book  that  all 
may  read:  "  O,  Ephraim,  thou  hast  destroyed  thy- 
self; but  come  home  again,  come  home,"  It  is  grace 
abounding,  love  exceeding. 

4.  Messianic  predictions.  These  are  not  numer- 
ous in  Hosea,  but  some  there  are.  In  iii,  5,  Israel's 
return  under  a  second  David  is  announced  (comp. 
Jer.  XXX,  9;  Ezek.  xxxiv,  23,  25,  etc.).  That  the 
David  here  mentioned  is  Messiah  is  evident  from 
the  other  passages  cited  above.  As  Messiah  is 
David's  son  and  heir  He  is  often  called  by  David's 
name.  Twice  our  Lord  quotes  vi,  6,  "  I  will  have 
mercy,  and  not  sacrifice,"  Matt,  ix,  13;  xii,  17.  In 
His  use  of  the  passage  it  is  clear  that  He  is  the 
speaker  in  it.  Hosea  xi,  i,  is  quoted  in  Matt,  ii,  15, 
and  applied  to  the  flight  into  Egypt.  Israel  was 
the  Messianic  nation,  and  its  history  presaged  and 
adumbrated  the  earthly  life  of  our  Lord  Jesus,  xiii, 
14,  seems  to  be  referred  to  in  i  Cor.  xv,  55,  and  is 
applied  to  the  resurrection  of  the  saints  when  the 
Lord  comes  again. 

5.  Promises  of  Israel's  restoration,  i,  10,  11;  ii, 
16-20,  23;  iii,  4,  5;  xiv.  It  is  the  concurrent  testi- 
mony of  all  the  prophets.  We  may  spiritualize  these 
and  similar  texts  if  we  will,  and  apply  them  to  the 
revival  of  the  Church,  but  beneath  our  uses  of  them 
there  is  still  God's  unchangeable  promise  to  the 
chosen  people.  Delitzsch's  fine  word  is  worth  re- 
membering: "  Interpretation  is  one;  application  is 
manifold." 


BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

Of  the  prophet  Joel   we   know  nothing  beyond 
what  is  told  us  in  i,  I.     He  was  the  son  of  Pethuel; 
but  who  Pethuel  was,  or  where  he  dwelt,  is  unknown. 
Several  persons  of  the  name  of  Joel  are  mentioned 
in  the  Bible,  but  of  few  of  them  is  less  information 
given  than  of  this  prophet.     From  internal  evidence 
mainly  it  is  inferred  that  he  was  a  native  of  Judah. 
His  message  is   addressed  to  Judah.     It  is  equally 
uncertain  when  he  prophesied,  or  where  he  died.    It 
is  believed  by  some  commentators  that  Amos  i,  2  is 
a  quotation  from  Joel  iii,  i6,  and  if  so,  then  he  must 
have  preceded  Amos.     As  this  prophet  lived  during 
the  reigns  of  Uzziah  of   Judah  and  Jeroboam  II.  of 
Israel,  the  ministry  of  Joel  must  have  been  anterior 
to  that  time.     The  absence  of  any  reference  to  the 
Assyrians  or   Babylonians  in  the  prophecy  affords 
some  corroberative  proof.     Altogether,  the  date  B. 
C.  800  may  approximately  be  fixed  as  that  of  Joel's 

ministry.  ,    •     t 

The  first  verse  of  the  first  chapter,  as  usual,  is  the 
inspired  endorsement  of  the  whole  prophecy,  the 
seal  of  its  authenticity,  "  The  word  of  the  Lord  that 
came  to  Joel,  the  son  of  Pethuel." 

It  is  not  easy  to  give  a  satisfactory  analysis  of 
this  prophecy,  for  the  book  is  a  compact  unit.  The 
following  is  offered  more  as  a  suggestion  than  as  an 
analysis.     Part  I.,  Devastation  of  the  land  by  armies 


308  OUTLINE   STUDIES. 

of  locusts,  and  by  drought,  announced,  chaps,  i-ii, 
II.  Part  II.,  Exhortation  to  repentance  urged  by 
many  gracious  promises,  chap,  ii,  12-32.  Part  III., 
Prediction  of  the  day  of  the  Lord,  the  judgment  of 
the  nations,  and  the  glorious  state  of  peace  and 
prosperity  to  be  enjoyed  in  the  times  of  the  Messiah, 
chap.  iii.  These  parts,  however,  are  very  closely 
bound  together  in  the  prophecy.  For  out  of  the 
prediction  of  the  impending  scourge  springs  natur- 
ally the  call  to  repentance,  and  penitence  is  urged 
by  weighty  motives  and  promises,  such  as  the  »*e- 
moval  of  the  scourge  and  plentiful  rainfall.  Nor  is 
it  less  natural  for  the  prophet  to  pass  from  the  ma- 
terial blessings,  held,  out  to  the  spiritual,  an  abun- 
dant effusion  of  the  Spirit  upon  the  repentant  peo- 
ple. And  just  as  naturally  he  passes  from  these  to 
the  days  of  Messiah,  the  days  of  judgment,  favor, 
blessing.  Unity  and  progress  characterize  the  book 
of  Joel. 

The  occasion  of  the  prophecy  was  the  invasion  of 
the  land  by  successive  swarms  of  locusts,  and  exces- 
sive drought,  which  threatened  the  country  with  de- 
struction. But  that  Joel's  message  extends  beyond 
his  own  times,  and  is  not  exhausted  in  them,  we  shall 
presently  see. 

I.  Invasion  and  desolation  of  the  land  by  locusts, 
i,  2-16.  The  plague  is  described  in  a  very  terse  way 
in  verse  four.  The  four  insects  there  mentioned  are 
not  so  many  species,  as  our  English  words  would  in- 
dicate, but  locusts,  either  in  their  varieties,  or  more 
probably  in  the  devastation  they  effect.  Henderson 
translates  the  verse  thus:  "That  which  the  gnawing 
locust  hath  left,  the  swarming  locust  hath  devoured; 
and  that  which   the  swarming   locust  hath  left,  the 


JOEL. 


309 


licking  locust  hath  devoured;  and  that  which  the 
licking  locust  hath  left,  the  consuming  locust  hath 
devoured."  In  Palestine  the  destructive  work  of 
these  insects  is  often  incalculable.  Note,  God  does 
not  need  to  summon  the  great  forces  of  nature,  as 
the  earthquake,  the  lightning  or  the  storm,  to  make 
effective  His  judgments  against  His  rebellious  creat- 
ure, man;  He  can  make  the  most  insignificant  instru- 
ments to  fulfill  His  purposes. 

The  prophet  then  calls  upon  various  classes  to 
mourn — the  drunkards,  because  their  wine  ceases, 
vss.  5-7; — the  people,  because  their  fields,  crops  and 
trees  are  destroyed,  vss.  8-12; — the  priests,  because 
the  meat-offering  and  the  drink-offering  **  is  with- 
holden,"  vs.  13.  The  priests  also  are  exhorted  to 
proclaim  a  fast,  vs.  14. 

2.  A  drought  succeeds  the  invasion  of  the  locusts, 
or  accompanies  them,  vss.  17-20. 

3.  The  prophet  urges  the  people  to  fasting  and 
humiliation  because  of  the  terrible  affliction  which 
has  befallen  the  land,  chap,  ii,  1-17.  In  the  first  part 
of  the  second  chapter  he  returns  to  the  invasion  of 
the  locusts,  and  describes  it  with  imagery  the  most 
forcible  and  graphic.  The  warlike  armies  of  the  de- 
vouring insects,  their  battle-march,  onset  and  vic- 
tory, their  spreading  themselves  with  irresistible 
might  over  the  land — is  drawn  with  a  masterly  hand. 

4.  The  call  to  repentance  is  enforced  by  promises, 
ii,  18-27.  The  pity  of  the  Lord  is  one  great  motive 
held  out  to  the  people  to  secure  their  penitence,  vs. 
18.  The  promise  of  the  removal  of  the  scourge  is 
another,  vs.  20;  of  plentiful  rain,  and  crops  another, 
vs.  23;  and  the  out-pouring  of  the  Spirit  is  another, 
vss.  19-32. 


310  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

Such  is  tne  "  historical  setting,"  as  men  name  it, 
of  the  prophecy  of  Joel.  But  is  this  all  there  is  in 
the  book?  Joel's  prophecy  is  telesmatic.  It  relates 
to  the  end,  the  day  of  the  Lord,  the  coming  of  the 
Lord,  and  the  mighty  events  which  are  associated 
with  it.  The  book  deals  in  general  terms  with  the 
characteristic  features  of  that  day,  and  with  the 
blessedness  that  is  to  be  brought  to  the  earth  at 
that  time.  The  proof  for  these  statements  is  found 
in  the  book  itself, 

I.  The  prediction  of  the  out-pouring  of  the  Spirit, 
ii,  28-32.  By  the  words,  "  And  it  shall  come  to  pass 
afterward,"  the  prophet  intimates  that  the  promise 
of  the  Spirit  was  not  to  be  expected  nor  fulfilled 
immediately.  A  period  of  time  would  elapse  before 
its  realization.  The  day  of  Pentecost  witnessed  its 
fulfillment.  Acts  ii.  The  apostle  Peter  interprets  it 
as  having  reference  to  the  times  of  the  Messiah, 
"  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  the  last  days,"  Acts 
ii,  17,  an  expression  which  invariably  designates 
Messiah's  days,  Isa.  ii,  2;  Heb.  i,  2. 

The  accomplishment  of  the  promise  began  on  the 
day  of  Pentecost,  Acts  ii,  16-21.  Peter  does  not  say 
that  Joel's  prophecy  was  exhausted  then,  but,  '*  This 
is  that  which  was  spoken  by  the  prophet  Joel."  We 
have  the  earnest  of  the  Spirit,  2  Cor.  i,  22.  Every 
.believer  is  indwelt  by  the  Spirit,  and  the  Church  has 
the  Spirit,  and  He  is  in  the  world  applying  redemp- 
tion to  all  those  who  are  called  and  chosen  of  God 
unto  salvation;  but  it  can  hardly  be  said  that  He  is 
now  poured  out  on  all  flesh,  that  He  is  given  to  all 
mankind.  There  will  come  a  time  when  Messiah's 
"  days "  will  be  fully  inaugurated,  and  then  the 
Spirit  will  be  poured  out  on  all.     So  Isaiah  predicts. 


JOEL.  81 1 

''And  the  glory  of  the  Lord  shall  be  revealed,  and 
all  flesh  shall  see  it  together;  for  the  mouth  of  the 
Lord  hath  spoken  it,"  xi,  5. 

2.  **  The  day  of  the  Lord."  Five  times  this  expres- 
sion is  used  in  Joel,  i,  15;  ii,  i,  11,  31;  iii,  14.  *•  The 
day  of  the  Lord  "  is  a  phrase  of  frequent  occurrence 
in  the  Old  Testament,  and  always  refers,  we  think, 
to  the  execution  of  judgment  on  the  earth.  It  some- 
times means  God's  judicial  interpositions  when  He 
is  not  actually  present;  but  in  its  full  sense  it  implies 
the  judgment  of  the  great  day,  the  last  day.  This  is 
its  almost  exclusive  use  in  the  New^  Testament.  No 
doubt  the  judgments  announced  in  Joel  had  partial 
fulfillment  in  the  scourge  of  locusts,  and  much  more 
in  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  and  dispersion  of  the 
Jews,  forty  years  after  Pentecost.  But  his  descrip- 
tions of  the  day  of  the  Lord  were  not  exhausted  by 
those  events,  terrible  as  the  second  of  these  was. 
Take  iii,  2,  14-16.  Unquestionably  the  prophet  here 
looks  forward  to  the  final  day.  The  proof  is  at  hand, 
and  is  conclusive.  Zechariah,  who  prophesied  some 
three  centuries  after  Joel,  announced  the  gathering 
of  hostile  armies  at  Jerusalem,  the  day  of  the  Lord, 
the  coming  of  the  Lord,  and  the  awful  judg- 
ments that  shall  be  visited  upon  the  ungod- 
ly, Zech.  xiv.  11-7.  That  the  two  prophets  pre- 
dict the  same  events,  a  comparison  will  show. 
Let  any  one  confront  Joel  iii  with  Zech.  xiv  and  any 
doubt  about  it  will  disappear.  Both  speak  of  the 
time  of  the  end,  the  day  of  the  Lord.  Both  an- 
nounce the  gathering  of  armies  against  Jerusalem, 
and  of  the  miseries  and  suffering  attending  a  siege. 
Both  speak  of  the  coming  of  the  Lord,  and  of  de- 
liverance  through  His   mighty  intervention   in  the 


312  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

behalf  of  His  afflicted  people;  both,  of  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  enemies.  And  both  predict  the  peace, 
prosperity,  and  blessedness  that  ensue. 

3.  ''The  harvest  "in  Joel  iii,  13.  The  judgments 
predicted  in  this  chapter  do  not  run  parallel  with 
the  history  of  the  nations  on  whom  they  are  visited, 
but  are  those  which  shall  fall  in  the  last  days,  when 
Judah's  grievances  are  made  Jehovah's  own,  and  are 
treated  as  done  against  Himself.  The  nations  are 
summoned  to  quit  their  peaceful  occupations,  to  get 
ready  their  arms,  and  come  to  the  valley  of  Jehos- 
haphat,  the  valley  of  decision.  There  the  great 
question  between  them  and  God  is  settled;  there  the 
"  harvest"  is  reaped.  The  harvest  of  Joel  undoubt- 
edly corresponds  with  the  harvest  of  the  parable  of 
the  wheat  and  tares.  Matt,  xiii,  37-42;  and  with  the 
harvest  of  Rev.  xiv,  18-20.  The  figures  in  all  these 
passages  are  double;  i.  e.,  there  is  both  a  harvest  of 
grain  and  of  the  vintage,  exactly  what  is  found  in 
Joel;  and  the  harvest  is  the  end  of  the  age. 

4.  Judah's  restoration,  iii,  i.  It  is  most  extraor- 
dinary that  prophet  after  prophet  announces  it,  as  if 
the  Spirit  of  God  would  make  assurance  doubly  sure. 
It  was  fulfilled  in  the  return  from  Babylon;  it  will  be 
more  abundantly  realized  when  the  chosen  people, 
now  dispersed  among  the  nations  of  the  earth,  shall 
be  brought  back  to  their  own  land  and  to  God. 

From  all  this  and  much  more,  it  appears  that  God 
had  far  more  in  mind  than  to  address  words  of  warn- 
ing and  of  promise  to  His  people  in  the  days  of  His 
servant  Joel.  He  spoke  to  His  people  through  the 
prophet  at  Pentecost  and  at  the  destruction  of  Jeru- 
salem; and  will  speak  to  them  when  the  last  restora- 
tion time  comes,  and  when  the  last  days  arrive. 


AMOS. 

In  the  reign  of  Jeroboam  I.  a  man  of  God  came 
out  of  Judah  by  the  word  of  the  Lord  unto  Bethel 
(i  Kings  xiii,  i),  who  confronted  the  king  at  his 
altar,  and  foretold  its  desecration  by  a  prince  yet 
unborn.  While  Jeroboam  II.  reigned  over  Israel, 
another  man  of  God  came  out  of  Judah,  and  at 
Bethel  (Amos  vii,  13)  cried  against  the  sin  of  the 
people  and  prophesied  the  fall  of  Samaria.  It  was 
Amos,  one  of  the  most  ancient  of  the  prophets 
whose  ministry,  according  to  Home,  Angus,  etc., 
lay  between  the  years  B.  C.  810-785.  He  was  the 
contemporary  of  Hosea,  probably  also  of  Isaiah,  as 
verse  one  of  chapter  one  would  indicate.  His  na- 
tive place  was  Tekoa,  a  few  miles  south  of  Bethle- 
hem, a  region  adapted  for  grazing,  and  for  no  other 
purpose,  we  are  told.  His  call  to  the  prophetic  office 
he  thus  describes:  "  I  was  no  prophet,  neither  was  I 
a  prophet's  son;  but  I  was  an  herdman,  and  a  gath- 
erer of  sycamore  fruit;  and  the  Lord  took  me  as  I 
followed  the  flock  and  the  Lord  said  unto  me,  Go, 
prophesy  unto  my  people  Israel,"  vii,  14,  15.  He 
was  not  a  prophet  by  succession;  he  was  not  trained 
in  any  of  the  prophetic  schools;  he  sat  at  the  feet  of 
no  great  teacher;  he  passed  through  no  preliminary 
or  preparatory  study.  He  Vv^as  only  a  shepherd  on 
the  wild  uplands  about  Tekoa,  and  he  combined 
with  his  pastoral  life  the  care  of  the  sycamore  trees 


B14  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

in  the  neighborhood.  Little  dreamed  he  while  thus 
engaged  amid  the  rugged  scenery  of  his  native  place 
that  he  should  stand  in  the  presence  of  kings  and 
people,  and  utter  the  sharp  and  threatening  word  of 
the  Lord  against  the  sinful  practices  of  a  nation. 
God  called  him  from  his  humble  walk  as  **  cowherd," 
as  one  has  named  him,  and  sent  him  forth  to  be  His 
mouth  to  a  rebellious  and  idolatrous  people,  sent  him 
forth  to  be  tried,  opposed,  persecuted,  discouraged, 
weary,  but  to  finish  his  mission  right  manfully.  God 
is  never  straightened  for  instruments.  If  priests  and 
ministers  fail  in  their  testimony  through  indolence, 
perverseness  and  apostasy.  He  will  raise  up  those  who 
stand  outside  of  the  regular  calling  altogether,  and 
filling  them  with  His  Spirit  and  grace  send  them 
forth  on  His  errands. 

We  learn  from  i,  i,  that  the  words  Amos  **saw" 
concerning  Israel  began  **  two  years  before  the 
earthquake."  This  earthquake  cannot  have  occurred 
after  the  seventeenth  year  of  Uzziah,  since  Jeroboam 
II.  died  in  the  fifteenth  year  of  that  king's  reign. 
Probably  it  was  some  years  before  Jeroboam's  death 
that  Amos  was  called  to  witness  against  the  iniquity 
of  Israel.  The  earthquake  here  mentioned  made  a 
lasting  impression.  It  was  remembered  by  Zecha- 
riah  three  hundred  years  afterward,  Zech.  xiv,  5.  It 
is  singular  that  the  sole  account  of  it  should  be 
found  in  the  prophetic  books;  the  historical  having 
no  trace  of  it.  Josephus  mentions  it,  and  says  it  oc- 
curred at  the  time  Uzziah  was  smitten  with  leprosy, 
2  Chron.  xxvi,  16-21.  The  king  was  bent  on  offering 
incense  on  the  golden  altar.  The  high  priest  for- 
bade him.  The  monarch,  angered  at  the  resistance, 
boldly  set  forward  toward  the  holy  place,  when  lo! 


AMOS.  315 

the  ground  began  to  rock  beneath  his  feet;  the  tem- 
ple swayed  back  and  forth  as  a  leaf  shaken  in  the 
wind;  the  Mount  of  Olives  shook  and  reeled;  the 
earth  cleft  asunder;  and  the  dreadful  leprosy 
mounted  to  the  king's  forehead. 

I.  The  design  of  the  book  is  quite  apparent.    The 
main   object  is  to   witness  against   the   idolatry  of 
Israel,  against  its  concomitant  evils,  effeminacy,  dis- 
soluteness, and  immoralities  of  every  kind.     His  min- 
istry was  confined  to  the  Northern  Kingdom.  Judah 
is  mentioned,  indeed,  as  an  object  of   judgment,  as 
also  other  nations,  but  only  incidentally.     Amos  ap- 
peared  on   the  hills   of   Samaria  to    denounce   the 
nobles  for  their  luxuriousness  and  despotism,  iv,  i; 
at  Bethel's  sanctuary  to  predict  the  fall  of  the  altar, 
and  of  the  royal  house  and  of  the  kingdom,  iii,  14, 
15;  V,  4-6.     It   was  this  prophet   who  uttered  that 
solemn,  piercing   cry  which   was  addressed   to  the 
royal  family  and  the   ten   tribes,  "  Prepare  to  meet 
thy  God,  O  Israel,"  iv,  12. 

2.  The  contents  of  the  book  may  be  arranged 
under  three  divisions:  I.  Burden  of  the  nations,  i,  ii. 
II.  Three  addresses  to  Israel,  iii-vi.  III.  A  series  of 
five  visions,  with  explanations,  warnings  and  prom- 
ises, vii-ix. 

(l)  Burden  of  the  nations,  chaps,  i,  ii.  They  are 
those  which  were  contiguous  to  Israel.  He  specifies 
the  sins  of  each  as  it  comes  in  review  before  him. 
The  storm  passses  without  pausing  in  its  course, 
sweeping  on  irresistibly  over  Syria,  Philistia,  Tyre, 
Edom,  Ammon,  Moab,  Judah;  then  stops  to  pour 
out  its  fullest  woes  on  Israel.  Here  it  rests,  and 
gathers  blackness,  and  thunders  long  and  loud. 
There  may  be,  as  has  been  thought,  an  object  in  the 


Bit)  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

prophet's  thus  arraigning  one  nation  after  another 
before  he  begins  to  deal  with  the  Northern  Kingdom. 
Thus  would  he  secure  a  hearing,  win  attention,  and 
so  gain  a  more  favorable  hearing  for  the  awful  ti- 
dings he  had  to  deliver  in  the  name  of  Jehovah.  Like 
Paul,  Amos  would  catch  them  with  guile,  2  Cor. 
xii,  i6. 

(2)  The  three  addresses  to  Israel  follow,  iii-vi. 
In  the  first  address  the  prophet  reminds  the  people 
of  their  obligations  to  the  Lord;  charges  on  their 
conscience  their  transgressions,  and  warns  them  of 
the  penalty,  chap.  iii.  The  fact  of  their  being  God's 
people,  redeemed  out  of  Egypt,  and  chosen  before 
all  others,  instead  of  being  a  palliation  of  their  sin, 
was  rather  its  aggravation,  and  would  be  the  ground 
of  more  strict  reckoning  with  them,  vss.  i,  2.  God 
hath  revealed  to  His  prophet  what  is  soon  to  come 
to  pass:  An  enemy  shall  press  Israel  on  every  side, 
invade  the  whole  land,  and  a  mere  wreck  and  frag- 
ment of  the  nation  will  be  left,  no  more  than  a 
courageous  shepherd  snatches  from  the  jaws  of  a 
lion — the  two  shank-bones  and  a  bit  of  ear,  vss.  ii, 
12,     The  allusion,  no  doubt,  is  to  Assyria. 

The  second  address,  chap,  iv,  is  taken  up  with  re- 
proofs for  prevailing  sins,  and  with  the  chastise- 
ments with  which  they  have  already  been  visited. 
Oppression  of  the  poor  and  weak,  intemperance, 
wantonness,  unauthorized  worship  at  Bethel  and 
Gilgal — these  sins  are  charged  upon  them,  and  are 
shown  to  be  the  primal  cause  of  the  drought,  famine 
and  pestilence  which  they  had  suffered.  But  all 
these  divine  visitations  were  only  harbingers  and 
heralds  of  far  worse  woes  to  come.  Since  chastise- 
ment and  paternal  discipline  fail   to  attain  their  ob- 


AMOS.  317 

ject,    exterminating    judgments    are    on   the    way. 
Therefore,  "  Prepare  to  meet  thy  God,  O  Israel." 

The  third  address,  chaps,  v,  vi,  contains  a  call  to 
repentance,  and  predicts  the  overthrow  of  the  king- 
dom and  the  subsequent  captivity.  With  lamenta- 
tions and  profound  grief  the  fall  of  the  virgin 
daughter  of  Israel  is  announced.  The  helpless  wail 
of  the  miserable  people,  the  summons  of  profes- 
sional mourners,  the  shouts  of  the  conquerors  and 
the  cries  of  the  vanquished,  all  is  set  before  guilty 
Israel  with  unfaltering  fidelity.  Yet  the  Lord,  the 
prophet  tells  them,  is  pitiful;  His  voice  is  lifted  in 
mercy  and  entreaty:  **  Seek  the  Lord  and  ye  shall 
live."  Nevertheless,  he  warns  them  in  the  name  of 
Jehovah,  the  great  and  dreadful  God,  that  no  mere 
outward  service  of  feasts  and  offerings  will  avail  to 
arrest  the  approaching  doom.  The  reform  that  will 
serve  to  avert  the  judgments,  must  be  one  that  is 
genuine,  spiritual,  and  deep;  one  that  affects  the 
heart  and  conduct  alike;  one  that  will  be  a  thorough 
conversion  from  sin  to  holiness,  and  from  the  service 
of  idols  to  that  of  the  living  God. 

(3)  The  visions,  and  denunciations  of  judgments 
which  are  connected  with  them,  occupy  the  remain- 
ing chapters  of  the  book,  vii-ix.  The  first  is  a  vision 
of  locusts  devouring  the  land.  The  second  is  a 
vision  of  fire,  all-devouring.  The  third  is  a  vision  of 
the  Lord  with  a  plumb-line  in  His  hand  measuring 
a  wall  to  cast  it  down.  At  the  close  of  each  of  the 
first  two  visions  Amos  intercedes  for  Israel  who  of 
course  is  aimed  at  in  all,  and  his  intercession  is 
heard  and  the  threatening  turned  away  for  the  time. 
But  afterward  there  is  no  further  intercession,  and  it  is 
intimated  to  the  prophet  that  God  will  cease  to  hear 


318  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

any  plea  for  them,  their  doom  is  sealed,  vii,  8;  viii,  2. 
The  three  visions  mentioned  above  are  thought  to 
symbolize  three  successive  invasions  of  the  land, 
each  increasing  over  the  preceding  in  severity.  The 
first  was  that  of  Pul,  king  of  Assyria,  who  exacted 
one  thousand  talents  of  silver  from  king  Menahem, 
and  retired,  probably  in  consequence  of  Am.os'  in- 
tercession, 2  Kings  XV,  19-21.  The  second  invasion 
was  that  of  Tiglath-pileser  of  Assyria,  who  took 
possession  of  the  east  and  north  of  the  territory  of 
Israel,  and  carried  many  of  the  inhabitants  into  cap- 
tivity, 2  Kings  xvi,  cf.  2  Kings  xv,  29.  Doubtless 
the  judgment  was  again  staid  at  the  instance  of 
Amos'  prayer.  The  third  was  that  of  Shalmaneser 
who  put  an  end  to  the  kingdom  of  the  ten  tribes, 
and  removed  the  people  to  Assyria,  2  Kings  xvii. 
In  connection  with  the  third  vision  distinct  reference 
is  made  to  the  sacrificial  heights  and  shrines  of  Israel, 
as  if  to  draw  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  reason  of 
the  judgment  is  traced  to  the  idolatry  and  other 
guilty  practices  of  the  people.  Amaziah,  the  priest 
of  Bethel,  incensed  against  the  repeated  denuncia- 
tions of  this  prophet  of  God,  and  perhaps  also  con- 
science smitten,  brought  against  him  before  king 
Jeroboam  the  charge  of  treason,  and  openly  sought 
to  have  him  silenced,  at  the  same  time  quietly  ad- 
vising him  to  flee  to  Judah,  vii,  10-17.  Amos'  reply 
is  a  prediction  against  the  priest  and  his  family.  We 
nowhere  find  in  the  historical  books  its  fulfillment. 
None  who  observe  how  briefly  the  story  of  Israel's 
fall  and  Samaria's  three  years'  siege  is  told  in  2 
Kings  xvii  will  be  surprised  at  the  silence  of  Scrip- 
ture about  Amaziah.  There  much  is  said  of  the  peo- 
ple's sins,  nothing  of  their  sufferings. 


AMOS.  319 

The  fourth  is  a  vision  of  ripe  fruit,  chap.  viii.  The 
basket  of  summer  fruit  which  the  prophet  saw  repre- 
sented the  guilty  nation  now  ripe  for  judgment. 
Long  time  they  had  gone  on  in  transgression,  heed- 
less ot  every  warning,  deaf  to  every  entreaty.  And 
the  Lord,  merciful  and  gra.cious,  with  whom  judg- 
ment is  His  strange  work,  had  suspended  the  penalty 
they  had  incurred.  Now  at  length  the  cup  of  iniq- 
uity was  full;  punishment  could  no  longer  be  de- 
layed; and  the  Lord  said,  "The  end  is  come  upon 
my  people  of  Israel;  I  will  not  again  pass  them  by 
any  more." 

The  fifth  is  a  vision  of  the  Lord  standing  beside, 
or  upon  the  altar,  commanding  to  smite,  chap.  ix. 
It  is  disputed  what  altar  is  meant — that  of  Bethel  or 
that  at  Jerusalem.  If  we  confront  chap,  iii,  14  with 
ix,  I,  we  will  be  helped  to  some  right  understanding 
of  the  point.  But  it  is  not  very  material  to  the 
apprehending  of  the  prophecy  which  is  meant.  The 
altar  itself  is  of  subordinate  importance.  The  prime 
thought  is  that  Jehovah  Himself  is  directing  the 
judgment  in  such  a  manner  that  Israel  shall  in  no 
wise  escape.     He  is  its  executioner. 

The  book  closes  with  a  magnificent  promise  of 
resurrection  and  glory  for  the  fallen  tent  of  the 
house  of  David,  ix,  11-12;  and  of  the  prosperity  that 
shall  attend  it,  vss.  13-15.  It  is  quoted  in  Acts  xv, 
15-17  by  James,  and  applied  to  the  ingathering  of 
Gentile  believers  into  the  Church,  but  an  ingathering 
which  is  to  be  followed  by  divine  favor  shown  to  the 
house  ot  David,  and  to  the  outcasts  of  Israel.  The 
promise  looks  on  to  the  period  when  the  purposes 
of  God  touching  both  Jews  and  Gentiles  shall  be 
made  good  in  the  realization  of  universal  blessing. 


OBADIAH. 

The  name  of  Obadiah  which  stands  at  the  head  of 
this  the  shortest  book  of  the  Bible,  is  as  common 
among  the  Jews,  it  is  said,  as  Abdallah  among  the 
Arabs.  Both  m.ean  the  same  thing.  Obadiah  signi- 
fies "worshipper,  or  servant  of  Jehovah."  Four  of 
the  prophets  are  known  to  us  only  by  name.  Oba- 
diah is  one  of  them;  the  others  are,  Habakkuk, 
Haggai  and  Malachi.  Of  the  first,  as  indeed  of  the 
other  three,  we  have  the  briefest  possible  account? 
viz.,  that  his  name  was  Obadiah;  there  the  record 
ends,  Abarbanel  alleges  that  he  was  a  converted 
Idumean,  and  adds,  it  is  an  instance  of  "the  hatchet 
returning  (according  to  the  Hebrew  proverb)  into 
the  Vv'ood  of  which  it  was  taken;"  but  this  account  is 
destitute  of  foundation.  Jerome  held  with  the  Jews 
that  he  was  the  same  person  as  the  Obadiah  who 
was  governor  of  Ahab's  house,  and  who  hid  and  fed 
one  hundred  prophets  whom  Jezebel  sought  to  slay 
with  the  other  servants  of  God  she  murdered,  i  Kings 
xviii.  If  so,  then  he  is  the  oldest  prophet  whose 
writings  have  come  down  to  us,  and  must  have  lived 
some  nine  centuries  before  Christ.  It  is  much  more 
likely  that  he  prophesied  about  the  time  of  the  cap- 
ture of  Jerusalem  by  Nebuchadnezzar,  and  that  he 
was  contemporary  with  Jeremiah,  or  imraediately 
preceded  that  prophet. 

It  will  be  observed  that   there  is  a  striking  simi- 


OBEDIAH.  321 

larity  between  these  two  prophets,  and  that  their 
predictions  against  Edom  are  closely  akin,  cf.  Jer. 
xlix,  7-22,  and  Obadiah.  Some  dispute  there  is  as 
to  which  copied  from  the  other,  or  whether  both 
copied  from  an  earlier  prediction.  From  internal 
evidence  it  is  now  believed  by  many  that  Obadiah 
is  the  original  and  that  of  Jeremiah  is  somewhat 
later;  but  whether  the  latter  used  the  former  or  not 
cannot  be  determined,  for  there  is  difference  enough 
to  entitle  us  to  the  belief  that  neither  saw  or  used 
the  writing  of  the  other. 

Obadiah's  design  is  to   predict  the   overthrow  of 
Edom.     The  Idumeans  were  the   neighbors  of   the 
Jews,  and   their   kinsmen,  being  the  descendants  of 
Esau,  the   brother  of  Jacob.     But  as   they   did  not 
show  any  concern  for  the  misfortunes  of  Israel,  as 
they  rather   rejoiced   thereat,  the  cordiality   which 
might  have   been  expected  to  exist  between  them 
gave  place  to  intense  and  bitter  hatred.    The  Edom- 
ites,  according  to   Obadiah,  are  types  of  those  who 
ought  to  be  friends  and  are  not,  who  ought  to  be 
helpers  in  the  day  of  calamity,  but  who  are  found  on 
the  other  side.     The  prophet  touches  on  their  pride 
and  self-confidence,  vs.  3;  then  denounces  their  vio- 
lence against  their  brother  Jacob  in  the  day  of  his 
trouble,  vss.  10-14.     In  the  remainder  of  the  verses 
he  utters  the  most  terrific  predictions  as  to  the  final 
and  complete  destruction  of  Edom.     The  certainty 
of  the  future  triumphs  of  Zion  and  the  enlargement 
of  Israel's  borders  is  announced.     Obadiah  sees  the 
house  of   Jacob  and  the  house  of   Joseph,  probably 
denoting  all  Israel,  dispossessing  Edom  and  occupy- 
ing their  land.     Partially  and  typically  the  prophecy 
ha's  been   fulfilled,  but  no    doubt  it  awaits  a   more 


322  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

complete  accomplishment,  when  God  will  set  His 
hand  to  recover  His  people,  and  make  good  to  them 
the  promises  to  the  fathers. 

The  book  of  Obadiah  is  a  favorite  study  of  modern 
Jews.  In  it  they  read  the  future  of  their  own  people 
and  of  Christendom;  for  they  hold  that  by  Edom- 
ites  are  meant  Christians  who  have  treated  them 
much  as  old  Edom  did  their  ancestors,  and  by  Edom 
is  specially  meant  Rome.  Kimchi  says,  "  All  that 
the  prophets  have  said  about  Edom  and  its  destruc- 
tion in  the  last  times  has  reference  to  Rome." 

The  fifteenth  verse  of  Obadiah  is  significant:  "For 
the  day  of  the  Lord  is  near  upon  all  the  heathen;  as 
thou  hast  done,  it  shall  be  done  unto  thee:  thy  re- 
ward shall  return  upon  thine  own  head."  It  is  lex 
taliofiis,  the  law  of  retaliation.  Back  on  those  who 
do  evil  against  their  fellows  rebounds  the  like  injury. 
A  notable  instance  of  it  is  seen  in  Judges  viii,  i8, 19, 
and  i,  5,  where  we  read  of  the  cruelty  of  Adoni- 
bezek  which  returned  on  himself — "as  I  have  done, 
so  God  hath  requited  me."  Iniquity  always  recoils. 
Into  the  pit,  the  wicked  dig  for  others,  sooner  or 
later  they  fall.     The  reprisals  of  sin  are  frightful. 


JONAH. 

The  book  of  Jonah  is  unlike  any  other  of  the 
minor  prophets  or  any  other  of  the  Bible.  In  its 
style  and  contents  it  is  strictly  a  historical  narrative. 
It  is  not  so  much  an  oracle  or  prediction  as  a  type. 
The  interest  centers  not  so  much  in  the  message  of 
the  prophet  as  in  the  prophet  himself.  More  than 
any  other  book  of  the  Bible  it  has  been  assailed, 
ridiculed,  tortured  and  wrested  from  its  simple, 
straightforward  record  of  facts,  and  pronounced  a  fic- 
tion, an  allegory,  a  parable,  or  a  vision.  It  needs 
scarcely  to  be  said  that  the  testimony  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  forever  settles  the  question  of  its  authen- 
ticity and  genuineness  for  every  Christian. 

I.  Jonah  was  a  native  of  Gath-hepher,  a  town  of 
Lower  Galilee,  2  Kings  xiv,  21;.  He  was  of  the  tribe 
of  Zebulon,  and  a  subject  of  the  Northern  King- 
dom. From  the  passage  of  2  Kings  xiv,  23-25, 
we  learn  that  Jonah  lived  and  testified  during 
some  portion  of  the  reign  of  Jeroboam  IL,  which, 
according  to  Neteler,  extended  from  789  to  749 
B.  C.  But  according  to  Home,  Angus,  Usher, 
and  others,  his  reign  antedates  this  by  some  fifty 
years.  Somewhere  between  B.  C.  850-750  Jonah 
flourished,  probably  nearer  the  former  than  the 
latter  date.  More  than  eight  centuries  before  the 
advent  of  the  Savior  he  lived  and  prophesied  and 
passed  through  his  marvelous  experience.  He  was  a 


t32i  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

child  when  Homer,  old  and  blind,  was  singing  his 
rhapsodies  on  the  shores  of  the  Aegean  sea;  a  con- 
temporary with  Lycurgus  the  Spartan  legislator;  a 
hundred  years  older  than  Romulus,  and  four  hun- 
dred years  older  than  Herodotus  the  historian. 
Nothing  of  his  early  life,  parentage  (save  that  he 
was  the  son  of  Amittai)  or  personal  history,  except 
what  is  found  in  his  book,  is  given  us.  Like  Elijah 
the  Tishbite,  Amos  of  Tekoa,  John  the  Baptist,  he 
is  abruptly  introduced  into  the  pages  of  revelation. 
God  gathers  out  of  the  lives  of  His  servants  that 
which  suits  His  purposes,  and  is  precious  in  His 
sight,  and  records  it  in  His  book;  over  all  the  rest 
He  draws  His  pen. 

2.  The  book  contains  two  well  defined  parts,  viz., 
I.  The  historical  narrative.  H.  The  typical  teaching 
of  the  narrative.  Let  us  note  some  of  the  features 
of  the  history,  (i)  Jonah's  mission.  It  was  to  de- 
nounce the  wrath  of  God  against  the  wicked  city  of 
Nineveh,  i,  i,  2;  iii,  1-3.  The  call  of  God  took  him 
out  of  his  own  land  and  beyond  the  sphere  of  the 
prophetic  testimony  as  generally  rendered.  To  the 
capital  of  Assyria  he  was  sent. .  The  reason  for  such 
an  extraordinary  mission  of  a  Jew  was,  that  the  place 
was  given  over  to  sin,  that  its  wickedness  proceeded 
largely  from  ignorance,  and  that  there  was  a  multi- 
tude of  persons,  particularly  children,  who  were  not 
responsible  for  the  state  of  the  city,  iv,  1 1,  cf.  i,  2. 
That  Nineveh  was  as  large  and  as  densely  populated 
as  the  book  indicates  is  attested  by  trustworthy  wit- 
nesses. Diodorus  Siculus  says  it  was  sixty  miles  in 
circuit;  Herodotus  somewhat  less.  This  would  cor- 
respond to  the  statement  that  it  was  "  three  days' 
journey  "  in  extent.     Perhaps  the  view  entertained 


JONAH.  325 

by  many  is  well  grounded,  viz.,  that  Nineveh  con- 
sisted of  a  group  or  aggregation  of  cities,  separated 
from  one  another  by  parks,  gardens,  walls  and  forti- 
fications. If  we  take  the  parallelogram  in  Central 
Assyria  covered  with  remains  of  buildings  we  shall 
have  an  extent  equal  to  all  that  is  affirmed  as  to  its 
magnitude.  Koyunjik  is  about  eighteen  miles  from 
Nimroud;  Khorsabad  about  the  same  from  Karam- 
less;  Khorsabad  about  fourteen  from  Koyunjik;  and 
Karamless  about  the  same  from  Nimroud;  so  that 
the  entire  circuit  would  be  about  sixty  miles.  Jonah 
(iv,  ii)  mentions  the  children  who  were  unable  to 
discern  between  their  right  and  left  hands  as  120,000, 
which  would  give  the  whole  population  as  some- 
where between  700,000  and  1,000,000.  To  this  city, 
with  its  teeming  population,  its  imposing  temples 
and  stupendous  palaces,  its  idolatry  and  wickedness, 
Jonah  was  sent.  (2)  His  flight,  i,  15.  The  mission 
was  very  distasteful  to  the  prophet;  so  much  so  that 
he  determined  not  to  obey  the  divine  command;  and 
he  "  rose  up  to  flee  to  Tarshish,  from  the  presence 
of  the  Lord."  Of  course  it  is  not  to  be  imagined 
that  Jonah  was  ignorant  of  the  divine  omnipresence, 
for  David  had  already  set  forth  this  truth  in  sublime 
language  in  Ps.  cxxxix,  7-9.  He  fled  that  he  might 
get  away  from  his  duty  as  Jehovah's  prophet,  cf.  Ex. 
iii,  iv. 

No  doubt  a  variety  of  motives  combined  to 
prompt  a  course  at  once  wicked  and  foolish.  Fear 
for  his  personal  safety  may  have  had  something  to 
do  with  his  flight.  The  Assyrians  were  already 
recognized  as  the  enemies  of  Israel  and  were  feared 
as  the  most  dangerous  of  their  foes.  How  could 
Jonah  go  to  that  hostile  race  and  preach  to  them? 


326  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

The  chief  motive  is  given  us  by  the  prophet  himself, 
chap,  iv,  2:  "I  pray  thee,  O  Lord,  was  not  this  my 
saying  when  I  was  yet  in  my  country?  Therefore  I 
fled  unto  Tarshish;  for  I  knew  that  thou  art  a  gra- 
cious God,  and  merciful,  slow  to  anger,  and  of  great 
kindness,  and  repentest  thee  of  the  evil."  Jonah 
thus  seems  to  prefer  judgment  to  mercy,  fire  to  con- 
sume the  Ninevites,  rather  than  grace  to  lead  them 
to  repentance  and  forgiveness.  Perhaps,  likewise, 
he  thought  of  the  dishonor  that  might  come  to  the 
Lord  if  He  appeared  to  be  changeful  and  inconsis- 
tent; perhaps,  too,  of  the  charge  that  might  be  laid 
against  himself  as  a  false  prophet,  who  predicted  an 
overthrow  which  never  took  place.  Poor  man!  Yet 
not  unlike  the  majority  of  God's  servants  in  every 
age.  How  weak,  pusillanimous,  peevish  and  cow- 
ardly the  most  of  them  are.  His  flight  was  to 
Tarshish,  either  Tarassus  in  Spain  or  the  Tarshish 
near  Cilicia,  a  seaport  of  considerable  commercial 
importance.  Providence  seemed  actually  to  favor  his 
disobedience;  but  facilities  for  doing  wrong  are  not 
to  be  construed  as  indications  of  divine  permission. 
If  we  flee  from  duty  and  go  to  the  west  when  we  are 
bidden  go  to  the  east,  it  will  be  found  at  length  that 
the  very  easiness  of  the  road  only  leads  into  more 
mischief  and  the  terrors  of  death.  "Jonah  took  his 
measures,  but  God  took  His  also.  He  let  the  willful 
man  have  his  way  to  a  certain  point,  till  quite  com- 
mitted to  his  folly;  then  He  began  to  work  and  to 
restore  His  servant  by  terrible  things  in  righteous- 
ness." A  storm  suddenly  arose,  and  the  ship  was  in 
great  peril.  The  seamen  threw  the  cargo  overboard 
to  lighten  the  laboring  vessel.  They  rowed  hard  to 
bring  her  to  the  land.     But  all  in  vain.     The  angry 


JONAH.  327 

sea  grew  more  furious,  and  the  helpless  prophet, 
well  knowing  the  cause  of  all  suggested  the  only  ex- 
pedient to  secure  the  safety  of  the  ship.  The  hands 
of  the  sailors  cast  him  forth.  Jonah  went  down  out 
of  sight  into  the  abyss,  and  the  sea  was  calm. 

(2)  Jonah's  miraculous  preservation,  i,  17;  ii,  i-io. 
It  is  a  marvelous  account,  but  in  no  degree  absurd 
or  incredible.  It  is  quite  fashionable  to  sneer  at  it, 
and  treat  it  as  a  fable,  a  myth,  too  gross  and  mon- 
strous to  be  for  a  m.oment  believed.  Even  some 
professing  Christians  smile  incredulously  when 
"Jonah  and  the  whale  "  are  mentioned:  they  cannot 
well  conceal  their  contempt  for  the  story.  The  early 
Christians  believed  it,  for  they  painted  the  prophet 
and  the  fish  in  the  rough  frescoes  they  made  in  the 
catacombs  at  Rome.  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  believed 
it,  and  has  set  the  seal  of  His  almighty  approbation 
and  confirmation  on  it  once  and  again,  Matt,  xii,  39- 
41;  xvi,  4;  Luke  xi,  29,  30,  32.  Christ  declares  that 
Jonah  was  a  type  of  His  own  death  and  resurrection, 
that  as  the  prophet  was  a  ''sign  "  to  Nineveh,  so  was 
He  a  "  sign  "  to  the  people  of  Israel.  The  Lord  pre- 
pared, or  appointed  (Ixx),  a  fish  which  swallowed 
down  the  recreant  prophet.  It  is  not  said  He  cre- 
ated it  at  the  moment;  He  ordained  that  it  should  be 
in  readiness  to  receive  Jonah  into  its  capacious  maw. 
In  Matthew  the  word  is  translated  "  whale;"  but 
more  properly,  it  was  a  sea-monster,  as  the  revision 
has  it  in  the  margin,  that  is  meant.  In  all  likeli- 
hood, it  was  a  species  of  shark  {pesce-cane^  the  dog 
fish,  Italian  sailors  call  it),  which  is  common  in  the 
Mediterranean,  which  has  an  enormous  throat,  and 
which  sometimes  attains  a  length  of  twenty-five  feet 
or  more,  with  space  in  its  bulk  ample  enough  to  con- 


328  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

tain  the  prophet's  body.  The  miraculous  element 
lies,  not  in  his  being  swallowed  alive,  but  in  his  being 
kept  alive  in  his  moving  grave  for  three  days.  Great, 
indeed,  too  great  for  mere  nature,  but  not  too  great 
for  Him  who  is  above  nature,  the  Almighty. 

(3)  His  preaching  and  its  results,  chap.  iii.  Jonah's 
message  was  appalling;  his  one  piercing  cry  from 
street  to  street  was,  "  Yet  forty  days,  and  Nineveh 
shall  be  overthrown."  The  probation  was  short, 
narrowed  into  one  month  and  ten  days.  God 
sometimes  speaks  to  a  nation  or  to  an  individual  but 
once.  If  His  voice  is  not  then  heard,  it  is  heard  no 
more  except  in  the  thundertones  of  judgment.  The 
results  were  wonderful.  Nineveh  heard  and  re- 
pented. One  sermon  did  the  work;  one  trumpet 
blast  shook  the  city  out  of  its  sin  and  carnal  secu- 
rity. The  repentance  was  immediate,  profound,  uni- 
versal and  acceptable.  Noah  preached  one  hundred 
and  twenty  years  in  vain;  two  angels  visited  Sodom 
and  announced  its  doom,  in  vain;  three  years  Jesus 
with  solemn  voice  cried  to  Israel,  "  Repent,"  but  few 
heeded  the  call.  Under  one  sermon  by  one  prophet 
a  vast  heathen  city  repented  in  ashes  and  sackcloth. 
King  and  noble,  with  diadem  and  spangle  laid  by, 
down  in  the  dust  with  the  meanest  subject  and  slave, 
the  dumb  brutes  sharing  the  universal  humiliation. 
It  was  a  world  spectacle  worth  seeing. 

(4)  What  explanation  are  we  to  give  as  regards 
the  remarkable  success  of  Jonah's  mission?  It  cer- 
tainly seems  strange  and  unusual  that  such  an  effect 
should  follow  the  preaching  of  a  solitary  and  un- 
known man.  What  credentials  had  he  to  show? 
What  proofs  that  his  message  was  from  God?  He 
wrought  no  miracle  to  attest  his  authority  or  the 


JONAH.  329 

truthfulness  of  his  message.  His  own  bare  word  as 
against  the  voice  of  a  million  was  all  he  had.  Yes, 
he  had  more.  Though  he  wrought  no  miracle  him- 
self, a  stupendous  sign  had  been  wrought  in  his  own 
person.  He  was  like  a  dead  and  risen  man,  and  he 
came  to  the  Ninevites  as  a  messenger  from  the  un- 
seen world.  The  sailors  had  doubtless  spread  abroad 
the  report  of  the  storm,  and  how  the  sea  had  become 
calm.  The  people  of  Nineveh  heard  and  believed 
the  report;  and  when  Jonah  appeared  in  their  streets, 
they  virtually  said:  "  Behold,  here  is  the  man  who 
was  entombed  in  the  sea  monster  for  three  days  and 
nights.  He  has  been  in  the  very  region  of  death  and 
of  Hades;  behold  him.  And  he  has  returned  to  earth 
and  to  us  with  this  frightful  message."  Hence  their 
repentance. 

3.  Turn  we  now  to  the  prophetic  or  typical  feat- 
ures of  the  book.  It  is  here  that  Jonah  differs  wide- 
ly from  all  the  other  prophetical  books  of  Scripture, 
viz.,  not  the  prophecy,  but  the  prophet,  is  the  main 
subject.  There  is  nothing  in  the  book  that  speaks 
of  the  future.  The  testimony  Jonah  rendered  Nine- 
veh was  a  present  testimony,  designed  for  the  gen- 
eration that  then  lived.  Manifestly,  the  great  aim 
of  it  is  to  present  the  prophet  himself  as  a  predic- 
tion or  type  of  Christ.  It  is  to  this  feature  our  Lord 
refers  in  the  passages  above  cited;  this  it  is  which 
gives  the  book  its  supreme  value,  and  makes  it  the 
book  for  all  time.  Some  of  the  features  of  his  typi- 
cal character  may  be  pointed  out: 

(i)  Jonah  in  the  body  of  the  great  fish  was  a  type 
of  Christ  under  the  power  of  death.  The  prophet 
while  in  his  strange  sepulchre  made  use  of  certain 
Psalms  with  which  no  doubt   he  was  familiar,  and 


330  OUTLINE   STUDIES. 

which  expressed  exactly  his  experience  and  dark 
forebodings.  He  quotes  more  or  less  literally  Ps, 
xviii,  4-6  (cf.  ii,  2,  3,  4,  5,  7);  Ps.  xxxi,  6,  7,  22  (cf.  ii, 
4,8);  Ps.  xlii,  7  (cf.  ii,  3);  etc.  But  there  are  allu- 
sions in  the  prayer  of  Jonah  to  the  great  Messianic 
Psalms,  Ps.  xxii;  Ixix;  xvi.  Some  of  the  words  our 
Lord  employed  to  express  His  feelings  when  death 
was  fast  closing  in  upon  Him  were  used  also  by 
Jonah,  for  he,  too,  seemed  to  be  sinking  into  the 
depths  of  sheol  and  passing  into  the  realm  of  the 
unseen  world;  the  rivers  of  the  ocean  whirled  him 
round  in  their  vast  eddies;  the  rocky  roots  of  the 
mountains  seemed  closing  in  the  gates  of  the  world 
against  his  return;  **  the  billows  and  waves  "  of  God 
passed  over  him.  A  striking  picture  of  what  Jesus 
endured,  Ps.  Ixix,  i,  2.  Jonah  calls  the  belly  of  the 
fish  **  the  belly  of  hell,"  or  sheol.  To  this  entomb- 
ment Jesus  refers  in  Matt,  xii^  39,  40;  and  He  trans- 
lates it,  *'  the  heart  of  the  earth."  Herein  is  Jonah  a 
sign;  as  he  was  three  days  and  nights  in  the  fish,  so 
Jesus  was  to  be  three  days  and  nights  in  the  heart  of 
the  earth — under  the  power  of  death.  The  sign  had 
its  fulfillment  in  those  awful  days  when  the  body  of 
the  Son  of  God  lay  in  Joseph's  tomb,  and  His  human 
soul  entered  the  world  of  disembodied  spirits. 

(2)  He  is  a  type  of  Christ's  resurrection.  At  the 
bidding  of  the  Lord,  the  fish  vomited  out  upon  dry 
land  the  prophet  alive.  Jonah  spake  to  the  Lord; 
the  Lord  spake  to  the  obedient  fish.  After  God  had 
spoken  it  was  impossible  he  should  longer  be  held 
in  his  prison.  In  ii,  6,  Jonah  says,  "  The  earth  with 
her  bars  was  about  me  forever:  yet  hast  thou  brought 
up  my  life  from  corruption  (or  the  pit),  O  Lord  my 
God."     It  is   almost  the  identical   language   of  Ps. 


JONAH.  331 

xvi,  lo;  "  For  thou  wilt  not  leave  my  soul  in  hell 
(sheol);  neither  wilt  thou  suffer  thy  Holy  One  to  see 
corruption."  Peter  quotes  the  words,  applying  them 
to  the  resurrection  of  Christ,  saying,  **  Whom  God 
raised  up,  having  loosed  the  pains  of  death;  because 
it  was  impossible  that  he  should  be  holden  of  it," 
Acts  ii,  22-27.  Matchless  "  sign,"  indeed,  was  this 
of  the  prophet  Jonah.  On  the  horizon  of  the  Old 
Testament  there  always  blazed  this  sign  of  the  death 
and  resurrection  of  the  Lord  Jesus — the  sign  of  the 
prophet  Jonah. 

(3)  The  prophet  was  also  a  type  after  his  recov- 
ery from  the  sea.  It  was  after  his  figurative  death 
and  resurrection  that  Jonah  was  sent  to  the  Gentiles. 
It  is  evident  from  2  Kings  xiv,  25  that  Jonah  proph- 
esied in  Israel  and  to  Israel.  But  he  is  sent  away 
from  the  chosen  people  to  proclaim  the  word  of  the 
Lord  to  a  great  heathen  city.  God  turned  away 
from  Israel  to  show  mercy  to  the  Gentiles.  Now 
this  was  the  sign  which  the  Lord  Jesus  put  before 
the  Pharisees.  Such  was  the  moral  state  of  the  peo- 
ple that  He  would  be  rejected  by  them  and  be  put 
to  death.  But  raised  from  the  dead.  He  would  go 
forth  in  the  power  of  resurrection  life  to  proclaim 
salvation  to  the  Gentiles.  In  obedience  to  His  com- 
mand the  disciples  went  everywhere  preaching  re- 
pentance and  remission  of  sins  in  His  name.  Thus, 
the  Greater  than  Jonah  was  a  sign  to  the  Jews  of 
His  day,  a  Savior  to  every  one  who  believes. 


MICAH. 

Micah  was  a  native  of  Moresheth-gath,  i,  14,  hence 
he  is  called  the  Morasthite,  i,  i.  His  name  signifies 
"who  is  like  Jehovah."  Of  course  he  is  not  to  be 
confounded  with  Micaiah  the  son  of  Imlah  who 
prophesied  in  the  reign  of  Ahab  (i  Kings  xxii),  for 
he  was  subsequent  to  him  by  more  than  a  hundred 
years. 

The  time  of  his  prophecy  is  stated  in  the  first 
verse  to  be  "  in  the  days  of  Jotham,  Ahaz,  and  Heze- 
kiah,  kings  of  Judah."  The  period  of  time  during 
which  these  kings  reigned  was  about  sixty  years.  It 
is  computed  that  Jotham  reigned  B.  C.  758-742; 
Ahaz,  B.  C.  742-727;  Hezekiah,  B.  C.  727-698. 
Micah's  official  service  may  have  embraced  fifty 
years,  which  is  certainly  not  an  ,  extravagant  esti- 
mate. 

The  design  of  the  prophecy  is  stated  in  i,  i.  "  The 
word  of  the  Lord  which  came  to  Micah  ....  con- 
cerning Samaria  and  Jerusalem."  The  sin  and 
shame  of  both  the  Northern  and  Southern  Kingdoms 
are  exposed  by  the  prophet,  but  the  burden  of  his 
message  is  intended  for  Judah.  The  prophecy, 
however,  is  not  confined  to  Israel.  All  nations  are 
addressed  likewise;  the  earth  and  its  inhabitants. 
Like  Hosea,  like  Amos,  Micah  enters  into  the  moral 
condition  of  the  people  and  connects  their  afflictions 


MICAH.  333 

with  their  unfaithfulness.  Judgment,  the  theme  of 
so  many  prophets,  is  prominent  in  Micah,  sin  pre- 
vailing and  inveterate,  makes  it  a  necessity.  But 
grace  also  flows.  The  advent  of  the  Messiah  and 
the  blessing  of  the  people  under  His  peaceful  reign 
the  prophet  announces  in  glowing  terms. 

The  book  consists  of  seven  chapters.  But  after 
the  first  verse  which  is  the  title  and  preface,  it  falls 
into  three  parts,  each  of  which  is  introduced  by  the 
almost  military  challenge,  or  legal  summons:  "  Hear 
ye."  These  three  parts  are  the  following:  I.  Chaps^ 
i,  ii.     H.  Chaps,  iii-v.    HI.  Chaps,  vi,  vii. 

I.  The  first  division  (i,  ii)  begins  with  a  summons 
to  all  nations  to  hear  God's  testimony.  The  Al- 
mighty is  coming  forth  out  of  His  place  on  high  to 
take  His  stand  on  the  high  places  of  the  earth  to  wit- 
ness against  Samaria  and  to  declare  its  doom.  Nor 
shall  Judah  escape.  The  evil  which  shall  overwhelm 
Samaria  shall  reach  the  gate  of  Jerusalem,  for  the 
sin  of  the  former  has  come  to  Zion  by  way  of 
Lachish,  the  near  medium  of  the  guilty  communi- 
cation. The  prophet  wails  over  the  kingdoms  as  if 
the  threatenings  were  already  accomplished.  He 
will  strip  himself  and  go  naked,  will  roll  himself  in 
the  dust,  will  utter  shrieks  and  lamentations  "  like 
the  long  piteous  cry  of  the  jackal,  like  the  fearful 
screech  of  the  ostrich."  His  own  immediate  neigh- 
borhood in  the  maritime  plains  of  Judah  shall  not 
escape;  village  after  village  shall  be  given  to  de- 
struction. The  moral  evils  that  defiled  the  land 
and  invoked  the  calamities  are  most  graphically  de- 
scribed. Idolatry,  oppression  of  the  weak  by  the 
strong,  covetousness,  and  drunkenness  are  some  of 
the  sins  for  which  the  people  are  arraigned  before  the 


884:  OUTLINE   STUDIES. 

great  Judge.  It  was  a  time  of  weak  government, 
and  so  of  misrule  and  oppression.  Through  the  reign 
of  the  wicked  Ahaz,  Micah  lived,  and  we  may  well 
believe  from  what  is  told  us  of  that  apostate  prince, 
that  every  species  of  vice  flourished  with  rank  ex- 
uberance. In  the  prophet's  own  striking  imagery,  it 
was  a  time  when  men  did  **  evil  with  both  hands  ear- 
nestly," (vii,  3,)  But  like  so  many  other  prophets 
before  and  after  him,  Micah  became  the  champion 
of  the  oppressed  and  the  weak,  and  their  stern  and 
unfaltering  advocate  in  the  presence  of  an  insolent 
and  powerful  oppressor. 

2.  The  second  division  (iii-v)  opens  with  a  fierce 
denunciation  of  the  nobles  for  the  crimes  of  which 
they  were  guilty,  iii,  1-4.  With  bitter  satire  the 
prophet  describes  the  princes  eating  the  poor  and 
stripping  the  flesh  from  their  bones  as  if  in  a  canni- 
bal feast;  and  foretells  the  cry  of  anguish  with  which 
they  shall  appeal  to  God  in  the  day  of  their  sore 
trouble,  but  He  will  not  hear  them.  Next,  he  de- 
nounces the  unholy  alliance  between  the  traitor 
prophets  and  mercenary  priests  and  corrupt  judges 
of  Israel  who  prophesy  for  gain,  and  administer  jus- 
tice for  reward,  and  teach  for  hire.  By  these  com- 
bined parties  Zion  is  built  up  with  blood,  and  Jerusa- 
lem with  iniquity,  and  Micah,  filled  with  power  by 
the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  declares  unto  Jacob  his  trans- 
gression, and  to  Israel  his  sin.  In  iii,  12,  he  foretells 
the  ruin  of  Jerusalem  and  the  desolation  of  Zion. 
This  prediction  saved  the  life  of  Jeremiah,  who 
would  have  been  put  to  death  for  foretelling  the  de- 
struction of  the  temple  had  it  not  appeared  that 
Micah  had  foretold  the  same  thing  above  a  hundred 
years  before,  (Jer.  xxvi,  18,  19). 


MICAH.  335 

With  chap,  iv,  a  notable  change  occurs  in  the  cur- 
rent of  the  prophecy.  The  iniquities  of  the  people 
and  the  punishment  which  these  provoke  give  place 
to  a  magnificent  vision  of  the  establishment  of 
Messiah's  kingdom  and  the  blessedness  and  glory 
that  shall  be  connected  with  it.  Verses  1-3  are  with 
slight  variation  the  same  as  Isa.  ii,  2-4.  In  the  judg- 
ment of  many  able  and  trustworthy  interpreters  the 
priority  belongs  to  Micah;  he  is  the  original,  and 
Isaiah  probably  copied  from  him.  God's  kingdom 
is  to  be  exalted  into  an  em.inence  in  the  world  where 
it  will  have  neither  a  rival  nor  a  peer.  Its  sway  shall 
be  universal;  its  duration  unending,  its  rule  benig- 
nant and  peaceful.  War  shall  cease  forever,  wasting 
and  desolation  be  known  no  more. 

Chapter  v  contains  a  deeply  interesting  prediction 
of  Messiah's  birth  (vs.  2).  It  was  on  this  verse  the 
scribes  and  priests  laid  their  hands  when  Herod 
submitted  to  them  the  question  as  to  Messiah's  birth 
place.  We  learn  from  the  whole  passage  that  He  is 
eternal  (vs.  2).  His  appearing  at  Bethlehem  was 
not  His  first;  it  was  only  one  of  many  "  goings 
forth."  He  will  gather  Israel  at  length  into  perma- 
nent occupancy  of  the  land,  and  introduce  them  into 
new  life  and  fellowship  (vs.  3).  His  rule  shall  be 
over  the  whole  Vvorld  (vs.  4).  He  shall  defend  and 
deliver  the  people  and  exalt  them  over  their  adver- 
saries (vss.  5-9).  And  He  shall  destroy  all  instru- 
ments of  war,  and  remove  every  vestige  of  idolatry 
from  the  land,  and  punish  the  heathen  for  their  sin 
(vss.  10-15). 

3.  The  third  division  (vi,  vii)  exhibits  the  reason- 
ableness, justice  and  purity  of  the  divine  require- 
ments in  contrast  with  the  ingratitude,  injustice  and 


336  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

superstition  of  the  people,  which  caused  their  ruin. 
Chapter  vi  begins  with  a  most  impressive  scene, 
VIZ.,  the  "  controversy "  which  God  had  with  the 
people.  The  mountains  and  hills  are  cited  to  hear 
the  charges  of  the  parties  to  the  controversy — God 
and  Israel.  And  in  the  presence  of  these  stately,silent 
witnesses  the  people  are  asked  to  testify  against 
their  Deliverer  and  Creator,  to  show  wherein  He 
hath  done  them  wrong  or  wearied  them.  At  the 
same  time  He  reminds  them  of  the  mercy  and  the 
goodness  He  hath  showed  them  (vi,  1-5).  What  a 
revelation  is  this  of  the  divine  love  and  patience  and 
also  of  the  obduracy  and  ingratitude  of  the  human 
heart.  Then  the  prophet  puts  into  the  mouth  of  an 
inquirer  the  questions  asked  in  vss.  6,  7.  These  are 
not  to  be  taken  as  the  words  of  Balaam,  but  of  one 
who  is  anxious  about  his  state  before  God,  but  unin- 
structed  in  the  way  of  righteousness.  Human  sacri- 
fice is  certainly  meant  in  the  phrase  "  firstborn," 
"fruit  of  my  body."  The  horrible  rite  was  practised 
to  some  extent  in  the  reign  of  Ahaz,  2  Kings  xvi,  3; 
xvii,  17.  No  doubt  the  allusion  is  to  the  sacrifice  of 
children  to  the  brutal  Moloch,  the  fire-god  of  the 
Ammonites.  How  much  a  man  will  do  and  suffer  if 
thereby  he  can  feel  he  has  satisfied  God  as  touching 
himself.  Contrast  with  this  costly  outlay,  the  su- 
preme devotion  even  to  the  slaughter  of  one's  own 
child  to  obtain  salvation,  with  the  simplicity  and 
freeness  of  the  gift  of  eternal  life  in  Jesus  Christ. 
Why  will  men  attempt  the  impossible,  and  refuse 
the  gift?  The  answer  to  the  inquiries  is  in  vs.  8;  and 
the  assurance  that  the  w4se  man  will  learn  the  way 
in  vs.  9.  In  vss.  10-16  the  prophet  lays  before  them^ 
in   detail,  the    universal   wickedness    that   reigned 


MICAH. 


337 


among  them,  and  declares  that  judgment  must 
surely  come  upon  them. 

In  chapter  vii,  the  prophet  laments  over  the 
moral  condition  of  his  people  (vss.  i-6),  then  inter- 
cedes in  their  behalf  with  God  speaking  in  their 
name,  and  identifying  Himself  with  them  (vss.  7-10). 

The  prophecy  closes  with  the  assurance  that  God 
will  make  good  to  His  people  every  promise  and 
prediction,  that  He  will  pardon  their  iniquities  and 
bury  their  sins  in  the  depths  of  the  sea.  In  spite  of 
their  rebellion  He  will  never  forget  them  in  His 
matchless  love,  and  in  His  faithfulness  He  will  not 
forsake  them  forever. 

We  may  summarize  the  predictions  of  Micah  thus: 
(i)  The  fall  of  Samaria  and  the  dispersion  of  Israel, 
i,  6-8,  9-16;  V,  7,  8.  (2)  The  cessation  of  prophecy, 
iii,6,  7.  (3)  Destruction  of  Jerusalem,  iii,  12.  (4) 
Deliverance  of  Israel,  iv,  10;  v,  8.  (5)  Messiah's 
birth  place,  v,  2.  (6)  God's  kingdom  established 
over  the  whole  world,  iv,  1-7. 


NAHUM. 

Of  the  author  o?  this  prophecy  we  have  no  more 
knowledge  than  is  afforded  us  by  the  scanty  title, 
which  leaves  both  his  nativity  and  his  age  uncertain. 
He  is  called  the  Elkoshite,  i,  I.  But  where  Elkosh 
was  situated  is  a  disputed  point.  Jerome  records 
that  it  was  a  village  in  Galilee,  and  says  that  its 
ruins  were  shown  him  as  he  traveled  through  that 
country.  But  Jerome  lived  nearly  one  thousand 
years  after  Nahum.  Others  locate  it  in  Assyria 
where  his  tomb  was  declared  to  be.  The  internal 
evidences  favor  Palestine  rather  than  Assyria  as  the 
scene  of  the  prophet's  ministry  (i,  4,  5).  Henderson 
is  of  opinion  that  Capernaum,  which  he  translates 
"  the  village  of  Nahum,"  may  have  been  the  home 
of  the  prophet.  But  no  certainty  as  to  his  birth 
place  can  be  had.  The  date  of  the  book  can  be  de- 
termined with  as  little  precision.  Some  think  he 
was  contemporary  with  Habakkuk,  others  with 
Manasseh,  but  the  majority  that  he  prophesied  dur- 
ing the  reign  of  Hezekiah.  Home  assigns  it  to  720- 
698  B.  C;  Knoble  713-71 1  B.  C.  Others  bring  it 
down  to  a  later  time,  B.  C.  700-636.  But  in  all  cases 
the  book  is  placed  at  a  time  prior  to  the  fulfillment 
of  the  event  it  predicts.  Nineveh  was  destroyed 
B.  C.  606  or  612.  The  probability  is  that  the 
'*  vision  "  was  seen  by  Nahum  one  hundred  years 
before  the  event  took  place. 

The  subject  of  the  prophecy  is  announced  in  the 
superscription,  i,  i:  "The  burden  of  Nineveh."     Or- 


NAHUM.  339 

ganic  unity  is  maintained  throughout,  the  three 
chapters  into  which  the  book  is  divided  form  a  con- 
secutive whole.  The  style  is  elevated  and  graphic, 
its  imagery  majestic  and  bold,  and  its  tone  solemn 
and  terrible  in  the  highest  degree.  The  entire 
prophecy  is  aimed  against  Nineveh,  the  metropolis 
of  Assyria.  It  sounds  the  death-knell  of  the  proud, 
luxurious  and  wealthy  city.  It  denounces  God's 
heaviest  judgments  against  the  guilty  place  and  pre- 
dicts its  final  and  complete  overthrow  and  extinc- 
tion. We  note  some  of  the  causes  that  provoked 
the  divine  wrath  against  it. 

1.  Impenitence  of  the  people.  More  than  a  hun- 
dred years  before  Nahum,  Jonah  preached  to  Nine- 
veh, and  the  whole  city  gave  itself  up  to  repentance. 
From  the  sovereign  on  the  throne  to  the  humblest 
subject,  all  united  in  confession,  humiliation,  and 
earnest  appeal  to  God  for  mercy.  But  great  as  was 
the  result  of  Jonah's  preaching  at  the  time,  it  was 
not  permanent.  A  brief  period  served  to  blot  out 
the  memory  of  the  doom  which  that  prophet  an- 
nounced, and  which  was  averted  by  their  contrition 
and  humiliation.  They  turned  again  with  redoubled 
zest  to  their  old  brutal  customs.  The  repentance 
was  not  followed  by  any  lasting  amendment  of  life. 
Hence,  as  always  happens  in  the  like  cases,  their 
last  end  was  worse  than  the  first. 

2.  Assyrian  pride.  It  was  proverbial.  The  inso- 
lent message  of  Sennacherib  to  Hezekiah  (2  Kings 
xviii,  13)  was  but  a  specimen  of  it.  Nahum  lived  and 
prophesied,  probably,  at  the  time  when  the  arro- 
gance of  Assyria  reached  its  climax.  God  and  His 
laws  were  despised,  and  the  rights  of  men  and  na- 
tions trampled  on  by  the  haughty  power. 


340  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

3.  Assyrian  cruelty  was  also  proverbial,  iii,  1-3. 
Nineveh  is  called  "  the  bloody  city."  In  it  the  hiss 
of  the  whip  and  heavy  sound  of  the  scourge  were 
constantly  heard.  Rarely  did  the  Assyrians  show 
mercy  to  the  conquered  and  the  captive.  It  was 
their  custom  to  stamp  out  their  foes,  leaving  no 
vestige  of  city  or  hamlet  behind.  In  the  excava- 
tions made  at  Nineveh  the  evidences  of  cruelty  are 
abundant,  cruelty  of  the  most  barbarous  sort.  A 
common  method  of  torture  was  to  flay  their  victims 
alive.  Nahum  represents  their  ferocity  as  that  of 
the  lion,  ii,  ii,  12. 

4.  Idolatry.  It  was  of  the  most  degrading  kind, 
and  as  is  always  the  case,  witchcraft,  sorcery,  nec- 
romancy and  demon  worship  were  associated  with 
it.  There  were  found  those  strange,  hideous  com- 
posite figures  which  were  the  principal  idols  of 
Assyria,  viz.,  the  huge  winged  monsters  which  the 
antiquarians  have  exhumed  and  exhibited  to  the 
civilized  world.  The  body  of  the  idol  is  that  of  a 
bull  or  a  lion,  generally  the  former;  the  head  and 
face  are  human;  two  immense  wings  are  attached  to 
the  shoulders.  They  seem  to  have  been  designed 
to  represent  the  divine  principle  by  the  various 
forms  of  animal  life,  beast,  bird  and  man. 

5.  Oppression  of  God's  people,  Israel.  While  God 
used  Assyria  as  His  rod  to  punish  the  stubborn  and 
rebellious  ten  tribes.  He  nevertheless  held  that 
power  responsible  for  all  its  abuse  of  the  ascendency 
He  had  permitted  it  to  gain  over  His  people.  And 
Assyria,  like  Babylon  and  Persia  in  aftertimes,  did 
exceed  all  just  bounds  in  its  dealings  with  its  cap- 
tives; therefore,  judgment  visited  it  in  turn. 

The  destruction  and  utter  desolation  of  Nineveh 


NAHUM.  34:1 

is  described  by  Nahum  with  magnificent  eloquence, 
and  with  marvelous  detail. 

1.  It  was  predicted  that  "  with  an  overrunning 
flood  he  will  make  an  utter  end  of  the  place,"  i,  8. 
The  allusion  is  to  an  invading  army,  no  doubt  that 
of  the  Medes  and  Babylonians  who  attacked  Nine- 
veh and  completely  demolished  it. 

2.  The  Tigris  was  to  assist  in  its  overthrow,  ii,  6. 
This  was  fulfilled.  The  ancient  historian,  Diodorus 
Siculus,  mentions  an  old  prophecy  that  Nineveh 
should  not  be  taken  until  the  river  (Tigris)  should 
become  its  enemy.  He  adds  that  when  the  assail- 
ants attacked  it  the  river  burst  its  banks  and  washed 
away  the  wall  for  twenty  stadia. 

3.  It  was  to  be  destroyed  partly  by  fire,  iii,  13,  i^. 
This,  too,  was  literally  fulfilled.  In  the  excavations 
which  have  been  made  on  the  site  it  is  discovered 
that  one  of  the  gates,  and  most  of  the  buildings  had 
been  burnt. 

4.  The  population  was  to  be  surprised  when  un- 
prepared, "  while  they  are  drunk  as  drunkards  they 
shall  be  devoured  as  stubble  fully  dry,"  i,  10.  Dio- 
dorus states  that  the  last  and  fatal  assault  was  made 
when  they  were  overcome  with  wine.  In  the  re- 
mains that  have  been  exhumed  carousing  scenes  are 
represented,  in  which  the  king,  his  courtiers,  and 
even  the  queen,  reclining  on  couches  or  seated  on 
thrones,  and  attended  by  musicians,  appear  to  be 
pledging  each  other  in  bowls  of  wine. 

5.  It  was  to  be  despoiled  of  its  idols,  i,  14;  and  of 
its  silver  and  gold,  ii,  9.  This  prediction  likewise 
was  amply  fulfilled.  The  images  of  Nineveh  were 
swept  away,  either  destroyed  or  carried  off  by  the 
conquerors.     Enormous  amounts  of  gold  and  silver 


842  OtrTLINE    STUDIES. 

were  conveyed  to  Ecbatana  by  the  victorious  Medes. 
Very  little  of  the  precious  metals  have  been  found 
in  the  excavations  of  recent  times.  The  city  was 
spoiled  of  all  its  treasures. 

6.  The  captivity  of  the  inhabitants  and  their  re- 
moval to  distant  provinces  were  announced,  ii,  7; 
iii,  18.  The  place  was  depopulated  and  the  proud 
city  sank  into  a  mass  of  ruins  and  rubbish. 

7.  It  was  to  disappear  and  become  a  perpetual 
desolation,  i,  14;  iii,  19.  For  centuries  its  site  has 
been  an  arid  waste  of  yellow  sand.  Every  trace  of 
its  existence  disappeared  for  ages.  Two  hundred 
years  after  its  capture  Xenophon,  in  the  retreat  of 
the  ten  thousand,  passed  near  it,  saw  the  ruins,  but 
knew  not  what  they  were,  and  did  not  so  much  as 
learn  the  name  of  Nineveh.  Even  "  garrulous  Hero- 
dotus," who  visited  the  spot,  had  no  more  to  say  of 
it  than  this:  **  The  Tigris  was  the  river  upon  which 
Nineveh  formerly  stood."  For  centuries  the  only 
sound  heard  in  its  vicinity  was  the  lonely  cry  of  the 
jackal,  and  hoarse  growl  of  the  hyena.  God  had 
said  by  the  mouth  of  His  servant  the  prophet,  "  I 
will  make  thy  grave."  He  did.  Wide  and  deep  He 
did  dig  it;  low  and  deep  He  buried  Nineveh,  never 
more  to  rise  again,  save  to  be  gazed  at  with  curious 
eyes  amid  dim  torchlight  by  the  archaeologist,  whose 
pick  and  spade  have  confirmed  the  Lord's  predic- 
tions. 


HABAKKUK. 

Habakkuk  is  one  of  the  four  prophets  who  are 
known  to  us  only  by  name.  Of  his  parentage  or  his 
nativity  nothing  whatever  is  told  us.  There  are  tra- 
ditions concerning  him  but  they  are  entitled  to  little 
or  no  credit.  One  is  found  in  the  apocryphal  story 
of  Bel  and  the  Dragon,  and  is  to  the  effect  that  an 
angel  caught  up  Habakkuk  by  the  hair  of  his  head 
and  carried  him  to  Daniel  while  in  the  lion's  den, 
whom  he  fed  with  the  food  he  was  conveying  to  his 
laborers  in  the  field.  It  has  been  inferred  from  the 
inscription  in  iii,  19,  that  he  was  a  Levite,  but  this 
also  is  very  problematical. 

As  to  the  date  of  the  book  the  authorities  vary,  as 
lisual.  But  the  discrepancy  is  not  very  great  in  this 
instance.  Some  place  it  in  the  reign  of  Josiah,  B.C. 
630;  others  in  that  of  Jehoiakim,  or  the  latter  part 
of  Josiah's  rule,  B.  C.  612-598. 

1.  The  subject  of  the  prophecy  is  two-fold:  First, 
the  overthrow  of  Judah  by  the  Chaldeans.  Second, 
the  overthrow,  in  turn,  of  the  Chaldean  monarchy — 
each  power  for  its  sins. 

2.  Characteristics  of  the  book.  It  is  distinguished 
for  its  magnificent  poetry.  Habakkuk  is  unsur- 
passed for  the  splendors  of  his  style.  Bold  as  Isaiah, 
he  is  his  equal  in  sublimity;  for  pathos  he  is  even 
more  remarkable  than  Jeremiah;  for  loyalty  he 
resembles  David;  and  for  confidence  in  God, 
Paul.  The  grandeur  of  his  description  of  Almighty 
God  in  chapter  three  is  unparalleled  even  in  the 


344  OrXLINE    STUDIES. 

Bible  itself.  Nothing  is  more  majestic,  nothirig 
more  sublime  and  awful. 

3.  The  contents  may  be  divided  into  two  parts:  I. 
A  dialogue  concerning  judgment  for  iniquity.  This 
is  the  "burden."  (i)  The  prophet's  complaint,  i,  2- 
4.  (2)  The  Lord's  reply,  i,  5-1 1.  (3)  The  prophet's 
appeal  that  the  Holy  One  should  not  suffer  His 
people  to  perish,  i,  12;  ii,  i.  (4)  The  Lord's  answer, 
with  direction  that  it  should  be  plainly  written  down 
for  the  guidance  and  consolation  of  the  godly, 
ii,  2-20. 

The  Chaldeans  are  denounced  (i)  for  rapacity,  ii, 
6-8;  (2)  for  trust  in  unhallowed  gain,  ii,  9-1 1 ;  (3) 
building  cities  and  towns  with  the  blood  and  treas- 
ure of  strangers,  ii,  12-14;  (4)  degrading  and  out- 
raging the  peoples  whom  they  subdued,  ii,  15-17; 
(5)  confidence  in  idols,  ii,  18-20. 

n.  The  prayer-song  of  Habakkuk,  chap.  ii.  It  is 
called  a  prayer,  like  Ps.  Ixxxix,  xc.  etc.,  not  merely 
because  it  begins  with  prayer,  but  because  the  whole 
ode  is  an  expansion  of  the  opening  petition.  It  is 
likewise  a  song.  If  the  word  selah,  which  occuns  in 
it  three  times,  is  to  be  understood  as  a  musical  term, 
then  it  follows  that  it  was  intended  to  be  rendered 
musically  on  some  occasion  or  in  some  place  of 
which  we  have  no  information.  The  inscription  at 
the  close,  **  To  the  chief  singer  on  my  stringed  in- 
struments," appears  to  furnish  some  evidence  in  the 
same  direction,  (comp.  Ps.  iv,  title). 

The  great  sentence  of  the  prophet,  "  But  the  just 
shall  live  by  his  faith,"  ii,  4,  is  quoted  three  times  1/1 
the  New  Testament,  Rom.  i,  17;  Gal.  iii,  11;  Heb.  x, 
38.     Chap,  ii,  3,  seems  to   be  referred   to   in   Heb. 

X,  37- 


ZEPHANIAH. 

This  prophet  is  remarkable  for  giving  us  his  gen- 
ealogy to  the  fourth  generation — a  rare  occurrence 
with  the  prophets.  In  no  other  case  does  the  record 
of  lineage  extend  beyond  the  grandfather  of  the 
prophet,  Zech.  i,  i.  Zephaniah  wished  to  distinguish 
himself  from  others  of  the  same  name,  but  mainly 
to  point  out  his  relationship  to  the  great  monarch 
Hezekiah,  for  the  Hizkiah  of  i,  i,  the  fourth  in  the 
prophet's  line,  is  identical  with  that  king.  He  was, 
therefore,  of  royal  descent. 

He  prophesied  during  the  reign  of  Josiah,  i,  I. 
Tregelles  dates  B.  C.  625-610;  Angus  somewhat  ear- 
lier. The  internal  evidence  evinces  the  fact  that 
Nineveh  was  in  a  state  of  peace  and  prosperity, 
while  the  notices  of  Jerusalem  touch  upon  the  same 
tendencies  to  idolatry  and  crime  which  are  con- 
demned by  Jeremiah. 

I.  The  design  of  Zephaniah  is  two-fold:  First,  to 
announce  God's  judgment;  second,  to  disclose  the 
moral  condition  which  necessitated  it.  As  to  the 
first,  it  is  to  be  remarked  that  the  revelation  of  judg- 
ment is  very  full  and  explicit.  The  prophet's  name 
seems  to  indicate  the  character  of  his  mission  "  the 
watchman  of  Jehovah."  He  is  on  the  outlook  for 
wrath  and  indignation  to  be  poured  out  on  the  guilty 
and  impenitent.  This  appears  in  the  description  of 
the  great  and  terrible  day  of  the  Lord,  i.     This  is 


346  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

the  prediction  which  formed  the  basis  of  the  Latin 
hymn  of  the  Middle  Ages,  the  Dies  Irae.  The  deso- 
lation of  Israel  is  made  the  image  of  a  far  wider 
judgment  still  to  come,  viz.,  the  judgment  of  the 
whole  earth.  The  sins  that  provoke  the  judgment 
are  idolatry,  i,  4-6;  oppression,  rapacity,  cruelty  and 
treachery,  iii,  1-5. 

2.  Contents,  (i)  Denunciation  of  judgment,  i. 
(2)  The  nations  that  are  its  objects,  Judah,  Philis- 
tines, Moabites,  Ammonites,  Ethiopians  and  Assy- 
rians, ii-iii,  1-6.  (3)  Prediction  of  future  restoration 
and  blessing  for  Israel,  iii,  7-20. 

3.  The  future  according  to  Zephaniah.  This  brief 
prophecy  is  full  of  it,  as  are  all  the  other  prophets. 
After  the  frightful  picture  of  wrath  which  he  so 
vividly  draws,  he  changes  to  a  sweet  and  triumphant 
theme,  a  song  of  gladness  and  of  victory  in  which 
the  glory  of  Zion,  favor  to  the  Lord's  people,  God's 
delight  in  His  redeemed,  the  holiness  and  devoted- 
ness  of  the  restored  Israel  are  set  forth  in  rapturous 
strains.  He  closes  with  a  vision  of  hope  and  joy 
and  peace.  And  so  Zephaniah  is  apocalyptic  and 
telesmatic. 

"The  Lord  thy  God  in  the  midst  of  thee  is 
mighty;  He  will  save,  He  will  rejoice  over  thee  with 
joy;  He  will  rest  in  His  love;  He  will  joy  over  thee 
with  singing,"  iii,  17. 

Redeemer  and  Redeemed. 

I.  The  Redeemer. 

1.  He  is  mighty  to  save. 

2.  He  exults  over  His  redeemed. 

3.  He  is  silent  in  His  love— finds  no  fault  with 
them. 

II.  The  Redeemed. 


ZEPHANIA. 


347 


1.  They  are  finally  and  forever  delivered. 

2.  They  are  exalted. 

3.  They  are  forgiven. 

4.  They  are  made  perfect. 

5.  They  are  happy  for  ever. 


HAGGAI. 

Haggai,  Zeehariah  and  Malachi  are  the  posv.  cap- 
tivity prophets.  They  exercised  their  office  after 
the  return  from  the  exile  at  Babylon.  The  great 
majority  of  the  Old  Testament  prophets  bore  their 
testimony  prior  to  that  epoch-making  event.  Jere- 
miah's ministry  extended  into  the  period,  but  he 
was  not  an  exile.  Only  two,  Ezekiel  and  Daniel, 
prophesied  during  the  captivity. 

1.  The  three  ministered  to  the  restored  remnant. 
The  circumstances  of  the  returned  Jews  made  it 
needful  for  such  beneficent  work  as  these  prophets 
could  render.  We  learn  from  the  books  of  Ezra  and 
Nehemiah  under  what  difficulties  and  obstructions 
the  Jews  labored  in  rebuilding  the  temple,  and  re- 
organizing the  commonwealth  and  the  services  of 
Judaism.  Opposition  and  discouragement  beset 
them  on  every  side.  To  every  achievement  they 
had  to  fight  their  way.  They  built  the  house  of  God 
and  the  city  "  in  troublous  times,"  in  very  truth. 
And  these  prophets,  particularly  Haggai  and  Zeeh- 
ariah were  raised  up  to  strengthen  the  heroic  but 
feeble  remnant. 

2.  The  throne  of  God  was  not  again  set  up  at 
Jerusalem  on  the  restoration  of  Judah.  Power  still 
remained  with  the  Gentiles.  The  first  great  empire, 
Babylon,  upon  which  God  conferred  supremacy,  had 
proved  itself  unworthy  of  the  mighty  trust  imposed 


HAGGAI.  349 

and  had  been  set  aside.  Another,  the  Medo-Persian, 
had  succeeded,  and  it  was  the  governing  power  even 
over  the  Jews  in  their  own  land.  They  were  never 
again  independent.  And  the  prophets  served  to  in- 
struct and  to  comfort  them  amid  the  trials  incident 
to  their  subject  life. 

3.  Their  main  effort  was  to  maintain  fidelity  and 
obedience  in  the  new  position.  As  the  center  of 
faithfulness  was  the  temple  and  the  service  con- 
nected with  it,  these  prophets  labored  to  keep  the 
people  attached  to  the  place  and  its  rites  of  worship 
and  to  all  therein  implied.  As  failure  in  the  rem- 
nant became  apparent  the  prophets  turned  away 
from  the  present  and  fixed  their  eyes  on  the  advent 
of  the  Messiah  whom  they  describe  minutely  and  for 
whom  they  yearned  with  an  intensity  of  desire  that 
challenges  our  admiration,  in  whom  they  well  knew 
there  would  be  no  failure. 

Haggai  prophesied  in  the  sixth  month  of  the  sec- 
ond year  of  Darius  the  king,  i,  i.  It  was  probably 
Darius  Hystaspes.  His  ministry  covered  a  period 
of  about  four  months,  B.  C.  520. 

I.  The  design  of  his  testimony  was  to  encourage 
the  restored  captives  in  the  arduous  labors  in  which 
they  were  engaged.  The  decree  of  Cyrus  (Ezra  i) 
induced  a  large  number  of  Jews  to  set  out  for  the 
Holy  Land,  some  50,000  in  all.  But  on  the  death 
of  Cyrus  the  emigration  ceased.  Under  the  reign  of 
some  of  his  successors,  particularly  Cambyses  and 
the  Pseudo-Smerdis,  the  work  on  the  temple  and  the 
city  was  suspended,  nor  was  it  resumed  until  the 
second  year  of  Darius,  Ezra  iv,  24.  The  arrest  of 
the  good  work  of  restoration  and  rebuilding  was  ac- 
complished through  the  determined  hostility  of  the 


350  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

adversaries  of  Judah  and  Benjamin,  Ezra  iv,  1-23.  It 
was  by  means  of  the  ministry  of  Haggai  and  Zech- 
ariah  that  it  was  recommenced,  Ezra  v. 

II.  The  contents  of  Haggai.  The  prophecy  con- 
sists of  only  two  chapters,  but  it  contains  four  ad- 
dresses, each  marked  off  from  the  other  by  clear 
lines  of  separation. 

(i)  The  first  address,  with  a  notice  of  its  effect,  is 
found  in  chapter  one.  It  was  spoken  to  Zerubbabel 
and  to  the  high  priest  Joshua.  The  former  was  a 
prince  of  the  house  of  David,  and  the  head  of  the 
government;  the  latter  was  at  the  head  of  the  priest- 
hood. Its  object  was  to  rouse  these  leaders  and  the 
people  under  them  from  the  apathy  into  which  they 
had  sunk.  Haggai  sharply  reproves  them  in  that, 
while  they  lived  in  ceiled  (paneled)  houses,  the 
house  of  the  Lord  was  neglected.  Their  own  were 
comfortable  and  well  furnished,  whilst  the  temple 
had  only  its  foundation  and  bare  walls  with  no  pro- 
tecting roof,  with  no  pavement,  door,  furniture,  altar, 
form  or  beauty.  The  address  achieved  its  aim,  as  i, 
12-15,  Ezra  V,  vi,  show. 

(2)  Chap,  ii,  1-9:  The  design  of  the  second  ad- 
dress is  to  correct  a  tendency  to  discouragement  and 
depreciation  which  had  begun  to  appear.  It  is  to 
the  same  officers  and  through  them  to  the  people. 
They  were  peculiarly  disposed  to  discouragement. 
When  the  foundations  were  laid  old  persons  who 
had  seen  the  first  temple  wept  at  the  contrast.  After 
the  first  burst  of  enthusiasm  in  the  work  of  rebuild- 
ing, there  came,  as  almost  always  comes  in  human 
enterprises,  the  reaction,  the  time  of  flagging  inter- 
est and  waning  energy.  Haggai  set  himself  to  re- 
animate their   drooping   spirits   and  rekindle   their 


HAGGAI.  351 

fainting  ardor.  In  the  latter  part  of  this  address, 
vss.  6,  7,  the  prophet  grounds  his  appeal  on  the  great 
fact  that  God  will  ere  long  shake  heaven,  earth,  sea, 
and  all  nations — a  passage  quoted  in  Heb.  xii,  26,27; 
and  adds,**  and  the  desire  of  all  nations  shall  come," 
or  **  the  things  desired  of  all  nations  shall  come."  It 
is  a  difficult  phrase,  but  in  view  of  what  is  said  of  it 
Heb.  xii,  25-29,  it  must  in  some  way  be  connected 
with  the  kingdom  of  God  and  the  Messiah. 

(3)  Chap,  ii,  10-19.  Instruction,  reproof,  appeal 
and  promise. 

(4)  Chap,  ii,  20-23.  This  last  address  was  deliv- 
ered on  the  same  day  as  the  preceding.  It  was 
spoken  to  Zerubbabel  alone  and  was  designed  to 
stimulate  that  officer  to  zealous  efforts  in  the  good 
work  undertaken.  The  prophet  again  refers  to  the 
supernatural  shaking  of  earth  and  sky  and  king- 
doms, but  amid  it  all  the  prince  shall  be  as  a  signet, 
firm  and  immovable,  because  chosen  of  the  Lord. 
This  can  be  no  other  than  the  day  of  the  Lord,  the 
day  of  the  Prince  .Messiah, 


ZECHARIAH. 

This  prophet  was  the  son  of  Berechiahand  grand- 
son of  Iddo,  i,  I.  In  Ezra  v,  i,  he  is  called  the  son 
of  Iddo.  The  word  son,  like  brother,  is  often  used 
in  a  wide  sense,  and  here  no  doubt  is  equivalent  to 
grandson.  He  was  a  priest  as  well  as  prophet.  His 
name  signifies  ''  whom  Jehovah  remembers."  He 
was  contemporary  with  Haggai,  and  began  his  min- 
istry in  the  second  year  of  Darius  Hystaspes,  B.  C. 
520.  How  long  he  continued  it  is  difficult  to  deter- 
mine; but  in  the  fourth  year  of  Darius,  Zechariah 
received  a  message  from  the  Lord,  vii,  i.  Probably 
for  five  years  he  continued  to  prophesy. 

I.  Is  this  prophet  to  be  identified  with  Zechariah 
the  son  of  Barachiah  mentioned  by  our  Lord  in 
Matt,  xxiii,  23?  The  majority  of  expositors  think 
not;  but  that  the  reference  in  Matthew  is  to  the 
priest  Zechariah,  son  of  Jehoiada,  who  was  slain  at  the 
temple,  2  Chron.  xxiv,  20-22.  There  is  no  record  of 
the  death  of  the  prophet;  yet  it  should  be  borne  in 
mind  that  the  book  of  Chronicles  does  not  extend 
to  a  date  so  late  as  his  death.  The  Jewish  Targum 
states,  we  are  told,  that  Zechariah,  the  son  of  Iddo, 
prophet  and  priest,  was  slain  in  the  sanctuary.  Neh. 
xii,  4,  identifies  Iddo  with  the  priests;  Zech.  i,  i, 
with  the  prophets.  Josephus  likewise  says  that 
Zechariah  the  son  of  Baruchus  was  slain  at  the  tem- 
ple.    Baruchus  is  closely  akin  to  Berechiah. 


ZECHARIAH.  353 

2.  Is  Matt,  xxvii,  9,  10,  quoted  from  Zechariah  or 
Jeremiah?  In  the  gospel  it  is  ascribed  to  Jeremiah, 
but  is  so  nearly  identical  with  Zech.  xi,  12,  13,  that 
it  was  taken  from  the  latter.  Some  think  Matthew 
quoted  from  memory  and  wrote  Jeremiah  when  he 
meant  Zechariah — by  no  means  a  satisfactory  ex- 
planation. Others,  that  the  quotation  was  originally 
made  from  Zechariah  and  that  Jeremiah's  name  was 
inserted  by  the  oversight  of  some  copyist.  Still 
another  explanation  is,  that  Matthew  quoted  Jere- 
miah xviii,  xix,  which  prophecy  lies  at  the  founda- 
tion of  Zechariah's.  As  there  is  some  variation  in  a 
few  of  the  oldest  versions  of  the  New  Testament, 
and  also  in  the  Greek  copies,  it  is  not  unlikely  that 
an  error  has  crept  into  the  text,  e.  g.,  Matthew  either 
wrote  "prophet,"  and  the  name  Jeremiah  was  intro- 
duced into  his  text,  or  (if  he  used  an  abbreviation)  he 
wrote  Zriou,  which  might  be  easily  mistaken  for 
Iriou. 

3.  The  book  may  be  divided  into  two  parts:  Part 
I.  Chaps,  i-viii.  The  contents  of  this  portion  of  the 
book  may  be  distributed  as  follows:  (i)  Introduc- 
tion, i,  1-6;  a  warning  voice  from  the  past.  (2)  A 
series  of  visions,  some  of  which  >vere  soon  to  come 
to  pass,  while  others  lose  themselves  in  the  distant 
future,  i,  7;  vi,  8.  The  visions  appear  to  be  intended 
to  strengthen  the  feeble  Hebrew  colony  in  Judea. 
The  first  is  that  of  horses  and  riders  in  the  valley  of 
myrtles,  i,  7-17,  representing  a  time  of  peace,  oppor- 
tune for  the  building  of  the  city  and  temple.  The 
second  is,  the  four  horns  and  four  carpenters,  or  ar- 
tisans, i,  18-21.  It  symbolizes  the  comparative 
safety  of  Israel  in  the  midst  of  the  contending 
world-powers.     If  the  horns  are  understood  as  the 


354  OUTLINE   STUDIES. 

emblem  of  the  kingdoms  which  overthrew  Israel, 
then  their  demolition  by  the  smiths  signifies  their 
powerlessness  toward  the  Jews.  The  third  is  that 
of  the  man  with  a  measuring  line,  ii.  The  meaning 
seems  evidently  to  be  that  Jerusalem  should  have  a 
wider  extent  than  ever  before;  it  should  be  too 
large  to  be  encompassed  by  walls — evidently,  still 
future.  The  fourth  relates  to  Joshua  the  high 
priest,  clad  in  filthy  garments,  the  angel  and  the  ad- 
versary Satan,  iii.  Typical  of  the  removal  of  the 
remnant's  guilt  and  acceptance  before  God.  The 
fifth  is,  the  candlestick  and  the  two  olive  trees,  iv. 
All  obstacles  should  be  removed,  and  the  chosen 
people  at  length  shine  in  God's  light,  anointed  with 
His  Spirit.  The  sixth  is  the  flying  roll,  v,  1-4.  It  is 
a  solemn  warning  of  the  swift  curse  of  God  upon 
thieves  and  perjurers — the  land  should  be  purified. 
The  seventh  is  the  woman  and  the  ephah,  v,  5-11.  It 
is  wickedness  personified;  it  should  be  caught,  shut 
in  a  cage  as  a  savage  beast,  and  held  in  by  a  weight 
as  of  lead,  and  transported  to  the  land  of  Shinar,  i.  e., 
Babylon.  Two  interpretations  are  given  of  this 
difficult  vision:  first,  that  it  means  idolatry  and  that 
the  action  signifies  the  removal  of  the  abominable 
practice  from  Israel  and  the  transfer  of  it  to  Baby- 
lon where  it  belonged.  As  a  matter  of  history,  it  is 
well  known  that  idolatry  ceased  in  Israel  with  the 
return  from  the  exile.  Second,  that  it  means  the 
unbelieving  and  impenitent  Jews  Vv^ho  shall  be  thrust 
out  of  the  land,  and  be  identified  with  Babylon 
where  they  really  belong.  If  the  visions  pertain  to 
the  times  of  Zechariah,  then  the  first  is  preferable; 
if  to  the  times  of  Jerusalem's  destruction,  then  the 
latter  is  its  meaning.     The  eighth  vision  is,  the  four 


ZECHARIAH.  355 

chariots,  vi,  i-8.  It  seems  to  refer  to  the  time  of 
the  end,  and  is  to  be  interpreted  by  the  four  horses 
and  their  riders  of  Rev.  vi. 

(3)  Symbolic  act,  vi,  9-15.  It  is  the  crowning  of 
the  high  priest  Joshua.  By  this  act  the  two  great 
offices  of  priest  and  king  are  united  in  his  person, 
type  of  the  person  and  work  of  the  man  whose  name 
is  the  Branch,  vs.  12,  and  who  shall  sit  on  His  throne 
of  glory  as  a  priest. 

(4)  Chaps,  vii,  viii,  contain  prophecies  of  later 
date  than  the  preceding  (vii,  i).  They  are  partly 
didactic — obedience  to  God's  word,  justice,  mercy, 
truth,  a  tender  heart  and  sensitive  conscience  are 
more  pleasing  to  Him  than  fasts  and  ceremonial  ob- 
servances. Partly,  they  are  predictions  of  near  and 
remote  blessing:  near,  Jerusalem  visited  with  divine 
favor;  remote,  many  nations  visiting  the  holy  city 
and  clinging  to  Israel  and  sharing  in  their  blessings. 

Part  II.  Chaps,  ix-xiv.  This  section  of  the  book 
does  not  bear  the  name  of  Zechariah,  nor  of  any 
author,  and  much  dispute  has  arisen  as  to  its  authen- 
ticity. That  there  is  a  difference  of  style  traceable 
in  these  chapters  is  freely  admitted,  but  that  this 
difference  is  so  great  as  to  be  accounted  for  only  on 
the  supposition  of  a  difference  of  authorship  is  not 
admitted.  The  quotation  in  Matt,  xxvii,  9,  seems 
to  favor  the  idea  that  the  latter  part  of  Zechariah 
was  not  written  by  him,  but  by  an  earlier  one,  viz., 
Jeremiah.  So  Joseph  Mede  thought,  the  first  to  call 
the  integrity  of  this  section  in  question.  The  all- 
sufficient  reply  is  this,  that  the  author  of  these  chap- 
ters must  have  written  at  a  later  date  than  Jeremiah, 
for  he  refers  not  only  to  Joel,  Amos  and  Isaiah,  but 
also  to  Jeremiah,  Ezekiel  and  Zephaniah.  (See  Zech. 


356  OUTLINE    STUDIES. 

ix,  2,  and  Ezek.  xxviii,  3;  Zech.  ix,  5,  and  Zeph.  ii,4; 
Zech.  xi,  4,  and  Ezek.  xxxiv,  4;  Zech.  xi,  3,  and 
Jer.  xii,  5;  Zech.  xiv,  10,  11,  and  Jer.  xxxi,  38-40, 
etc.).  The  proof  seems  overwhelming  that  these 
chapters  were  written  after  the  exile,  and  although 
they  are  anonymous  save  as  found  in  this  book,  yet 
the  presumption  is  very  decidedly  in  favor  of  the 
view  that  Zechariah  was  the  author. 

The  second  part  of  the  book  is  divided  into  two 
sections,  each  of  which  begins  with  the  expression, 
"  The  burden  of  the  word  of  the  Lord." 

(i )  Chaps,  ix,  X,  xi,  "  The  burden  of  Hadrach  and 
Damascus."  The  name  of  the  land  of  Hadrach  is 
somewhat  obscure,  but  that  it  is  connected  with 
Syria  in  some  way  can  hardly  be  doubted.  The 
Persian  empire,  or  Gentileism  in  general,  cannot  be 
meant,  as  some  have  imagined.  There  is  nothing 
to  intimate  that  it  is  a  symbolic  name.  Its  associa- 
tion with  Damascus  and  Hamath  is  fatal  to  that 
suggestion.  The  view  of  Canon  Drake  in  the  Bible 
Commentary  is  probably  correct,  that  it  signifies 
Syria  "  from  the  name  of  its  king,  Hadrach."  Tyre 
and  Sidon  and  Philistia  share  in  the  awful  judgments 
threatened  against  the  former  places.  The  refer- 
ence may  be  to  the  invasion  of  Alexander  the 
Great,  for  these  very  countries  were  overwhelmed 
by  his  army.  Yet  it  is  promised  that  the  house  of 
the  Lord,  and  by  implication,  Jerusalem,  shall  be 
preserved  by  the  intervention  of  God  Himself,  ix,  8. 
From  ix,  9,  to  the  close  of  xi,  we  have  a  series  of 
predictions,  some  of  which  relate  to  the  appearing 
and  rejection  of  Messiah,  the  destruction  of  Jerusa- 
lem, and  the  powerlessness  and  ignorance  of  the 
Jewish  rulers,  and  the  final  establishment  and  glory 


ZECHARIAH. 


857 


of  the  kingdom  of  God  and  some  of  them  to  the  dis- 
tant time  when  Jerusalem  shall  be  encompassed  with 
armies  for  the  last  time,  and  when  a  mighty  deliver- 
ance shall  be  wrought  for  the  chosen  people,  such 
as  never  was  experienced  before. 

(2)  Chaps,  xii-xiv.  "The  burden  of  Israel."  The 
old  comprehensive  name  Israel  returns,  and  the  en- 
tire twelve  tribes  appear  in  the  predictions  in  this 
section.  Judgment,  repentance,  forgiveness  and 
cleansing  are  all  secured  to  Israel  through  the  gra- 
cious work  of  Messiah.  It  is  of  Israel's  restoration, 
redemption  and  re-establishment  as  God's  center 
for  earthly  and  universal  blessing  of  which  these 
chapters  treat.  The  last  chapter  introduces  the 
universal  peace  and  blessing  and  glory  by  the  per- 
sonal return  of  the  Messiah,  Jesus  Christ. 

4.  Messianic   predictions.     Zechariah   is    remark- 
able for  the  fullness  with  which  he  treats  this  great 
subject.     He  is  but  too  well  aware  that  the  people 
who  had  returned  from  captivity  were  not  maintain- 
ing fidelity  toward  God.     Declensions  and  apostasy 
were  but  too  manifest  among  them.     Even  Ezra  and 
Nehemiah   recognize  the  fact  that  only  a  remnant 
exhibit   any  genuine  faithfulness.     But  in  Haggai, 
Zechariah  and   Malachi  it  becomes   quite  manifest 
that  '*  all  were  not  Israel  who  were  of  Israel."     It  is 
in  but  a  few  that  they  find  the  true  spirit  and  char- 
acter of   the  people  of   God;    and  ere  the  voice  of 
prophecy  is  hushed,  Malachi  distinguished  in  the 
most  solemn  way  between  the  godly  remnant  and 
the  mass  of  the  nation,  whether  people  or  priests. 
Accordingly,  these  prophets,  and  more  especially 
the  last  two  of  the  Old  Testament,  turn  away  from 
any  further  hope  in  the  restored  captives,  and  gaze 


358  OUTLINE    SFUDIES. 

with  eager  joy  and  swelling  hope  on  the  coming  of 
the  Messiah  in  whom  every  promise  and  prophecy 
will  be  made  good. 

Chap,  iii,  8,  9.  **  For  behold,  I  will  bring  forth  my 
servant,  the  Branch.  For  behold,  the  stone  that  I 
have  laid  before  Joshua;  upon  one  stone  shall  be 
seven  eyes,"  etc.  That  Christ  is  meant  by  the  name 
Branch  is  evident  from  Isa.  iv,  2;  xi,  i;  Jer.  xxiii,  5, 
6;  Zech.  vi,  12.  By  this  title  is  denoted  among  other 
things  the  great  fact  that  Messiah  is  to  be  identified 
with  our  race,  and  incorporated  with  our  kind.  He 
is  to  be  born  of  a  w^oman.  He  is  to  spring  from  the 
stock  of  Abraham,  but  especially  from  the  root  of 
Jesse,  the  family  of  David.  He  is,  therefore,  to  be 
of  royal  lineage  and  princely  descent.  Moreover, 
He  is  Jehovah's  Servant  (cf.  Isa.  xlii,  i),  one  who 
perfectly  fulfills  the  will  of  God,  and  the  neglected 
duty  of  His  people.  And  further.  He  is  to  be 
supremely  intelligent — as  Zechariah  expresses  it, He 
possesses  seven  eyes"  (cf.  Rev.  v,  6).  He  is  to  have 
the  power  to  know  and  to  execute  the  will  of  God, 
as  it  has  never  been  performed  by  man  nor  by  all 
men. 

Chap,  iv,  12,  13.  "  Behold  the  man  whose  name  is 
the  Branch;  and  He  shall  grow  up  out  of  His  place, 
and  He  shall  build  the  temple  of  the  Lord:  even  He 
shall  build  the  temple  of  the  Lord;  and  He  shall 
bear  the  glory,  and  shall  sit  and  rule  upon  His 
throne;  and  He  shall  be  a  priest  upon  His  throne: 
and  the  counsel  of  peace  shall  be  between  them 
both."  Messiah  shall  unite  in  His  own  person  the 
priestly  and  the  kingly  dignities.  The  two  charac- 
ters, so  long  distinct  in  Israel,  will  be  blended  in 
Him.     Nor   will  there  be  divergence   or   disagree- 


ZECHABIAH.  359 

ment  between  them,  or  pre-eminence  of  the  one  over 
the  other,  as  so  often  happened  in  the  past.  The 
regal  office  will  not  overshadow  the  sacerdotal,  nor 
the  sacerdotal  the  regal. 

Chap,  ix,  8.  This  great  prediction  was  literally 
fulfilled  when  Jesus  made  His  memorable  entry  into 
Jerusalem,  John  xii,  14,  15. 

Chap,  xi,  12,  13,  contains  the  announcement  of 
Messiah's  betrayal  and  rejection,  cf.  Matt,  xxvii, 
3-10. 

Chap,  xii,  10-14,  is  the  account  of  Israel's  conver- 
sion, at  least  of  the  remnant,  "  in  that  day,"  which 
seems  to  mean  the  beginning  of  the  day  of  the 
Lord.  Their  conversion  is  attributed  to  the  Spirit 
of  God,  vs.  10.  Their  repentance  is  stated  very  dis- 
tinctly to  be  universal,  individual  and  profound,  and 
its  occasion  is  the  sight  of  Him  whom  they  had 
pierced,  vss.  11-14. 

Chap,  xiii,  i.  The  sin  of  the  nation  thus  bemoaned 
is  washed  away.  The  "  fountain  opened  "  denotes 
Messiah's  death,  and  the  application  of  the  benefits 
of  His  death  to  the  house  of  David  and  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Jerusalem. 

Chap,  xiii,  7.  Messiah's  death  is  in  fulfillment  of 
the  will  and  plan  of  God  for  the  redemption  of  His 
people. 

Chap,  xiv,  records  the  tremendous  crisis  through 
which  Israel  is  yet  to  pass,  their  sufferings  from  the 
nations  which  gather  against  Jerusalem  "  in  that 
day,"  their  ultimate  deliverance  by  the  direct  and 
personal  interposition  of  the  Lord,  and  the  cosmical 
revolutions,  and  the  sway  of  the  kingdom  of  God 
over  the  renewed  earth.  That  this  majestic 
prophecy  cannot  have   been    fulfilled    in  the   past 


360  OUTLINE    STUDIES, 

every  right  principle  of  interpretation  must  lead  us 
to  conclude.  It  was  not  fulfilled  when  Christ  as- 
cended from  the  Mount  of  Olives;  much  less  when 
the  Roman  army  besieged  and  destroyed  Jerusalem, 
for  then  no  deliverance  was  had,  and  no  earthly 
blessing  ensued.  It  evidently  looks  onward  to  the 
day  when  the  Lord  will  once  more  interfere  in 
behalf  of  His  repentant  and  mourning  people,  and 
when  His  feet  shall  stand  on  Olivet,  and  when  He 
will  accomplish  every  promise  He  has  made,  and 
every  word  He  has  spoken  touching  Israel  and  the 
whole  wor^d. 


MALACHI. 

Nehemiah  is  the  last  of  the  Old  Testament  his- 
torians; Malachi  the  last  of  the  prophets.  He  is 
called  ''the  seal  "  of  the  prophets,  because  his  book 
closes  the  Old  Testament  canon.  His  name  is 
thought  to  be  significant — a  contraction  of  Malachi- 
jah.  The  Septuagint  translates  "  by  Malachi "  (i,  i), 
"  by  the  hand  of  his  angel,"  as  if  it  were  an  appella- 
tive and  not  a  proper  name.  Some,  accordingly, 
think  that  Malachi,  "  my  messenger,"  is  the  official 
title  of  the  prophet,  and  not  his  real  name.  Some 
of  the  fathers  went  so  far  as  to  assert  that  he  was  a 
supernatural  being,  an  angel,  for  which  of  course 
there  is  no  ground. 

Malachi  lived  between  B.  C.  436  and  397;  he 
prophesied  probably  B.  C.  433-430.  The  first  com- 
pany of  exiles  returned  to  Judea,  B.  C.  536.  The 
second,  under  the  leadership  of  Ezra,  took  place 
fifty-seven  years  after  the  completion  of  the  second 
temple,  B.  C.  458  (Ezra  vii,  6,  7).  About  B.  C.  444, 
Nehemiah  went  up  to  Jerusalem  from  the  court  of 
the  Persian  king,  Artaxerxes  Longimanus,  and  be- 
gan his  work  of  reformation,  and  after  twelve  years 
of  arduous  toil  he  returned  to  Babylon,  and  thence 
again  to  Judea.  There  are  clear  intimations  in  the 
prophecy  of  Malachi  that  he  was  engaged  in  a  like 
work  with'  Nehemiah.  The  same  abuses,  unhal- 
lowed alliances,  and  flagging  zeal  are  encountered  in 


862  OITTLINE   STUDIES 

the  prophecy  as  in  the  history.  What  Haggai  and 
Zechariah  were  to  Zerubbabel  and  Joshua  the  high 
priest,  Malachi  was  to  the  reformer  Nehemiah.  But 
it  can  scarcely  be  doubted  that  the  evidences  of 
decline  and  apostasy  are  much  more  visible  in  these 
later  books  than  in  the  former.  Priest  and  people 
alike  are  here  turning  away  from  God,  and  the 
prophet  separates  the  remnant  from  the  mass  of  the 
returned  exiles,  and  addresses  them,  and  holds  out 
to  them  the  hope  of  the  speedy  coming  of  the  De- 
liverer, Messiah. 

The  contents  of  Malachi  may  be  distributed  thus: 

1.  Chaps,  i-ii,  9.  The  sins  of  the  priests  sternly 
reproved. 

2.  Chap,  ii,  10-17.  Condemnation  of  marriage 
with  heathen. 

3.  Chaps,  iii,  iv.  Predictions  of  the  appearing  of 
Messiah's  forerunner  and  the  advent  of  Messiah 
Himself. 

Interspersed  among  the  denunciations  and  warn- 
ings against  the  wicked  are  found  gracious  promises 
and  assurances  addressed  to  the  faithful  few  who 
still  adhered  to  the  name  and  worship  of  Jehovah; 
as  the  precious  word  in  iii,  16-18,  where  the  little 
company  who  fear  the  Lord  and  who  speak  often 
one  to  another,  are  assured  that  God  will  remember 
them,  has  written  down  in  His  book  of  remembrance 
their  sayings  and  doings,  and  will  one  day  own  and 
reward  them;  as  in  iv,  2,  where  the  sun  of  righteous- 
ness is  promised  to  rise  upon  those  who  fear  His 
name. 

Chap,  iii,  i,  announces  the  coming  of  Jehovah's 
messenger  and  of  Jehovah  Himself.  In  Mark  i,  2, 
according  to  the  revised  version,  these  words  which 


MALACHI.  363 

are  quoted  from  Malachi,  as  also  words  from  Isa. 
xl,  3,  are  all  ascribed  to  Isaiah  the  prophet.  There 
is  m  reality  no  contradiction  here;  for  the  prediction 
of  Isaiah  is  unquestionably  the  foundation  of  that  in 
Malachi,  and  accordingly  the  inspired  evangelist 
goes  back  to  the  fountain  of  the  prophecy,  viz., 
Isaiah. 

There  is  a  striking  contrast  between  the  close  of 
the  Old  and  the  New  Testaments.  The  Old  ends 
with  the  awful  threat  of  the  divine  curse  on  the 
earth;  the  New,  with  the  gracious  words,  **  Even  so, 
come,  Lord  Jesus.  The  grace  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  be  with  the  saints"  (Wescott  and  Hort). 

Thus  closes  the  Old  Testament  canon.  With  hopes 
and  promises  of  a  better  day  and  better  things,  the 
rising  of  the  sun  of  righteousness,  the  book  of  re- 
membrance, the  appearing  of  Elijah  to  restore  all 
things — with  such  splendid  assurances  it  closes.  It 
was  in  the  night  time  of  our  race  and  of  partial  reve- 
lation that  it  closed;  but  a  night  thickly  set  with 
blazing  stars  and  the  roseate  glimmer  of  the  coming 
dawn.  It  closed  with  the  sound  of  many  voices 
along  the  shore,  all  uttering  a  cheerful  and  hopeful 
good  night.  The  night  passes  round,  and  the  shore 
of  the  New  Testament  becomes  visible;  evan- 
gelists and  apostles  cry,  Hail  to  the  morning.  And 
their  good  morning  is  in  blessed  harmony  with,  and 
in  full  realization  of,  the  cheerful  and  hopeful  good 
night  of  the  prophets  from  that  other  shore. 


DATE  DUE 

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GAYLORD 

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